Securing A Future
by JustAnotherGuy04
Summary: After going to Junior's club one night, Yang comes back and starts acting strangely. She is very protective and clingy towards Ruby, and aggressive towards her other friends. However, little do people know just what the blonde knows, let alone what she is going to do. (Non-related Yang/Ruby. Rated M for violence.)
1. A New Old Face

**Securing A Future**

 **Chapter 1: A New Old Face**

It was early morning in Vale and the city was mostly quiet. It was that time of day when the only people that were going around were either those that were returning home from work at late night shifts or those that needed to start closing up the places that had been open late at night. This was the same for the more rundown area in Vale, where a lot of criminals had gathered. There was practically no one walking around.

However, there was one person at this rundown area, who had a very special destination in their mind. This person was heading towards Junior's club, even though the place was closing up. One could not recognize who they were, as they were wearing a long, brown cloak with a hood that covered their entire body.

The cloaked person got out of one of the alleys in the area and looked around, taking in all of their surroundings. The way this person was walking and looking around gave the impression that they were reminiscing, like it had been a long time since they had last been there.

''The bad parts of Vale. Never looked good and never will look any better,'' the person mumbled to themselves. If one were listening to them, they wouldn't be able to recognize the person's voice as they were using something to mask it. ''Honestly, a little destruction would probably just make it better.''

The cloaked person eventually made their way to Junior's club, but they didn't go to the front entrance. Instead, they went to the back, where the famous Malachite twins were having a cigarette break. It didn't take long for them to notice the mysterious person walking towards them.

''Hey, sis,'' Miltia called out to her twin. ''What's wrong with this picture?''

''The fact that some hobo is walking around places they have no business to,'' Melanie answered. ''Let's go teach this creep a lesson.''

The two criminal twins started to make their way to the cloaked person, fully intent on driving them away. If words wouldn't work, they would use force and wouldn't hold back at all.

''Hey! What do you think this place is!?'' Melanie yelled. ''This isn't your cardboard box, so get lost!''

''Yeah! Why don't you go dig through trash cans somewhere else!?'' Miltia added.

The cloaked person looked at the two twins before letting out a sigh and saying, ''You two are always the same, aren't you? More make-up than brains. Don't you feel the least bit ashamed that the collective IQ is lower than the price on any of your beauty products? Or is that just the way you like it?''

The stranger's remark angered both twins to no end and Melanie went to punch them. However, with amazing speed and technique, the cloaked person used one arm to grab their attacker's arm, pull her towards them and then wrap their arm around her head in a headlock, keeping them in place. Miltia moved to assist her sister with her weapons out, but the stranger used their other arm to first parry her attack, before punching their fist right through her gut. The red-clad twin could only look down in shock and horror as she saw her blood flowing out from the big hole in her stomach, before falling to the ground dead. Melanie tried to struggle against the hold, but the cloaked person made a quick twist and broke her neck, killing her.

''With these two out of the way, let's go deal with the rest of them,'' the stranger mumbled as they picked up the twins' bodies and went inside the club, intent on killing the rest of the gang.

* * *

Later that night, during the time Junior's club would normally be opening, the place was completely silent. Any people who would try to enter the club were treated to the sight of a sign at the entrance that said ''Closed during repairs.'' This managed to drive away most people, but there was a certain person that would go in, regardless of the sign. And there was someone in the club, waiting for that person.

The cloaked stranger had been very quick and silent when they took out the rest of Junior's gang. Every single person was killed with speed, skill and silence. Because of this, no one managed to cause any kind of a ruckus that could potentially get unwanted attention. The cloaked person didn't want anyone to know what was going on. Especially their target.

Hours of waiting inside the club was finally paid off by the sound of a motorcycle stopping outside the place. It seemed like the target had finally arrived.

''She's right on time. Just like I expected,'' the cloaked stranger said to themselves before going into hiding.

Soon the club's front doors opened to reveal a young, blonde girl entering the place. This was Yang Xiao Long, one of the members of team RWBY in Beacon Academy. She had come to Junior's club in hopes of getting information on either her missing mother or the White Fang terrorist group that her partner, Blake Belladonna, was looking for.

As Yang entered the club, she was quite surprised by the lack of people in the club. Normally the place would be filled with Junior's goons going around, doing whatever chores they had been ordered to do, but now there were no signs of life at all. It was like all the people had disappeared into thin air.

''Hello? Is anyone here?'' the blonde girl called out, hoping to receive an answer, but was only met with silence. ''Junior, your favorite customer is here! ...Twins? You wanna have another go at me?''

Seeing how there was no one responding to her, Yang decided to walk up to the bar and wait for someone to come there. If the waiting got too long, she might even consider making herself a drink.

Little did she know that a certain someone had been watching her all time.

The cloaked person got out of their hiding spot slowly and as silently as possible. They then started to sneak towards Yang, trying their best to not make any noise. The cloaked stranger succeeded, as the blonde brawler never noticed them, until it was too late. In an instant, strong arms wrapped around her neck, cutting off her breathing. Yang desperately tried to fight back by trying to grab her assailant and kicking around furiously. However, it was all for nothing as her eyes eventually closed and she was unconscious.

* * *

Some time later, Yang started to wake up. She slowly opened her eyes to see the familiar ceiling of Junior's club, telling her that she had not been taken anywhere else. The blonde tried to get up, but soon found her movements to be restrained. She looked down to see that she had been tied up with some kind of black wire, which made moving for her practically impossible. She also had a rag covering the lower half of her face, thus preventing her from calling for help. Yang also noticed that she was laying on some sort of a plastic wrap that had been spread over the floor.

Despite her situation, Yang was still a fighter and wouldn't just sit around and do nothing. She started to thrash around wildly and let out muffled screams in the hopes of either getting loose or someone hearing her and coming to her rescue.

Unfortunately for the brawler, the only person to appear was her captor, who walked up to her and stared down at her.

''I really should have prepared this better,'' the cloaked person said with a frustrated sigh. ''I was hoping that you would still be unconscious while I did my business here. It would have made this a lot easier. Oh well, guess I just have to do it like this then.''

Yang watched as the cloaked person pulled out a knife and a canister of red Dust. They then smashed the canister on the knife, causing the blade to heat up and glow red.

''You know, I've never been much into science. I have always been more into having thrills and fun, instead of anything that sounded even a bit boring to me,'' the stranger explained before crouching down next to their captive. ''Now, for the first time in my life, I'm going to perform a bit of an experiment. I hope you can cooperate with me.''

Yang tried her best to struggle, but was unable to prevent her captor from dragging the knife over her cheek, leaving a nasty cut there. The blonde could only let out muffled screams of pain and hope that her torment wouldn't get any worse. Having her skin get cut with a heated blade would leave a scar that would never go away.

After cutting their captive's cheek, the cloaked person threw away the knife and walked away. Yang managed to bend her head enough to see that her captor went into one of the restroom's. She had no idea what they were doing there, but she didn't want to find out. Once the cloaked person had left, the brawler once again resumed her struggles, hoping to get away.

Unfortunately, the cloaked person returned very soon and walked up to their captive. They stood over Yang and looked down at her while she let out threats that were muffled.

''Well, would you look at this,'' the cloaked person said before reaching up to their neck and taking off the device that changed their voice. They then threw away their cloak, fully revealing who they were. ''It seems like multiverse theory is true, after all.''

Yang could only look up with wide eyes full of shock as she saw what her attacker looked like. Standing over her was a perfect copy of herself, another Yang Xiao Long. Every possible detail was same as with herself. Face, height, hair, even her clothes were completely similar to the captured blonde's. The only difference was the lack of a fresh wound on her cheek. Yang could only wonder who this copycat was.

Before the brawler could break out from her shock, the new Yang suddenly put her hands on her throat and started to strangle her. Yang's body thrashed around wildly in a fruitless effort to break free, but her attacker simply increased the pressure on her neck.

''I'm sorry that I have to do this, but we can't have two of us walking around, can we?'' the new Yang said as she continued strangling her helpless victim, who was now shedding tears out of terror. ''If it makes you feel any better, I will take care of Ruby from now on. And I will do a lot better job than you could.''

Hearing her attacker mention Ruby's name brought a new wave of terror through Yang. The fact that this person was not only after her, but her precious, little redhead, as well, was even more terrifying.

The new Yang leaned closer to her captive's face and whispered, ''Believe me, I know from experience,'' before there was a loud cracking sound that came from Yang's neck breaking, ending her life.

With her victim now dead, the new Yang stood straight and looked down at what she had done. Even though this wasn't her first kill, she had only killed bad people before, like Junior's gang that were criminals. However, this blonde girl was completely innocent. The murderer had only killed her in order to further her own goals and nothing more. The new Yang couldn't help but feel guilt and shame flow through her as she looked at Yang's dead eyes, frozen in a look of terror with the markings of tears underneath them.

But as much as she hated doing this, the blonde killer remembered that she had no choice. In order for her to avoid hell that she had previously gone through, she needed to make sacrifices. One of which was Yang Xiao Long.

With a heavy heart, the killer started to wrap the corpse in plastic. She still had a lot of work ahead of her.

* * *

After some time had passed, the new Yang was riding on Yang's motorcycle through the empty streets of Vale. Despite it being very late in the night, the blonde killer was going through the more rarely used streets. She had a certain blonde girl's corpse wrapped in plastic tied to the back of the bike's seat, which she didn't want anyone to see. Junior and his goons could be left back at the club, since the murderer had made the place look like a battlefield. The police would just assume that a rival gang had taken them out. However, Yang Xiao Long was another matter. If she were to be discovered, it would affect the blonde killer's plans in a very bad way. Her remains needed to be disposed of and quickly.

It took some time, but the new Yang eventually managed to make her way out of Vale and into a forest that was near the city. The killer stopped in the middle of the road and got off her ride. She lifted the corpse over her shoulder and started to make her way through the forest. Deep in the woods was a swamp where the new Yang would be able to dump her victim, thus disposing the evidence of there being two Yangs.

Just as the blonde murderer was about to reach her destination, the sound of a Scroll ringing brought her to a stop. The killer had taken three things from her latest victim, her bike, her weapons and her Scroll. The new Yang quickly put the body on the ground and took out the Scroll, wondering who was calling. her eyes went wide as she saw Ruby's name on the screen.

With trembling hands, the blonde brought the Scroll up to her ear and answered the call. She barely managed to keep her voice steady as she said, ''Hello?''

 _''Yang, where are you? It's very late and I've been very worried over you,''_ Ruby said on the other side.

Hearing the redhead's voice brought tears to the new Yang's eyes and she had to lean against a tree for support. It had been a long time since she had heard Ruby's voice and the killer almost started crying after hearing it again. She barely managed to compose herself enough to talk in a normal voice.

''I'm alright, Ruby. Sorry for making you worry,'' the new Yang said. ''I kind of lost track of time and then ran into some trouble on the road. Nothing too bad, but it's enough to slow me down quite a bit.''

 _''Okay, that's good to know,''_ Ruby said with a sigh of relief. _''Just... Just get back here, okay? I'm always worried when you go out on your own like this.''_

''Don't worry, Ruby. I'll be back soon. You just get some rest, okay? See you later.''

The call ended and the blonde fell to the ground while sobbing. Hearing the redhead's voice was something she had missed for so long. The experience brought such joy that the only thing she could do was cry in happiness.

However, the new Yang soon remembered that she had a job to do. The other Yang's body needed to be disposed of and soon. Otherwise, the blonde killer would risk having her plans fail and that was something she couldn't let happen. She had put too much on the success of her plan to let it all go to waste.

After composing herself, the new Yang got up and carried her victim to the swamp, where she dumped the body into the muddy water. She watched as the corpse sunk and disappeared beneath the surface, thus hiding the last bit of evidence to her crime.

''I'm truly sorry for doing this to you,'' the new Yang whispered once the body had disappeared completely. ''I know that you haven't done anything to deserve this, but I couldn't let you stay and ruin everything for me. I will keep my promise of looking after Ruby, since she is the reason I came here. I won't let the same thing that happened to my Ruby to happen to her. I will make sure that the future won't be the same here, as it was in my time.''

With her final words said, the new Yang turned around and started to head back towards Beacon. She had a mission to accomplish. To protect Ruby and prevent the future from becoming what it had become in her world. The blonde would make sure that the young redhead would stay safe from those that would harm her.

Not only her enemies, but also her friends that betrayed her.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Hey everyone. Hope you like the start on my new story. I got the idea for this when I got a suggestion that I should do a story based on Terminator. At first, I didn't think much of the idea, but eventually started to like it upon thinking about it a bit more. If you haven't figured it out yet, this will be a Yang/Ruby story, where Yang comes from the future to kill the people that were responsible for Ruby's death in the future, thus preventing her death.**

 **Right now, I'm leaving the first chapter to see if you guys like the idea and want to see more. If you like it, I'll continue writing this. If you don't, I'll just delete it and get rid of it. I really want to know how you feel about this and if you're interested in the idea.**

 **However, if I do continue this, please be prepared for long pauses between chapters. I haven't yet fully thought of where to go with this story, so you might be in for long waiting every now and then. Hope you understand.**

 **Also, if you haven't seen the first two Terminator movies, shame on you. You are missing on cinematic classics. The rest, on the other hand, you can skip those. Especially Genisys. Even I decided not to waste a single cent on it, and this is coming from the idiot that bought the DVD for Alien VS Predator 2.**

 **Anyways, until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	2. Back Home

**Securing A Future**

 **Chapter 2: Back Home**

It was the middle of the night when Yang finally made her way to Beacon. She parked her bike in the school's garage and started to make her way to team RWBY's dorm. As she was walking through the halls of Beacon, the blonde couldn't help but look around herself and take in the sights. Last time she had seen the school, it had been reduced to ruins. It was nostalgic to see the place in good shape again, even if it wasn't thanks to someone fixing it.

Eventually, Yang made her way to her team's dorm and stopped at the door. Before she could open the door, the brawler needed to compose herself, so that she wouldn't let her emotions get the best of her. Otherwise, Yang might attack Weiss and Blake on the spot. Or grab Ruby and pull her into the tightest hug ever while crying her eyes out.

After taking one final, deep and calming breath, the blonde slowly opened the door, hoping that she wouldn't wake up anyone. She peeked inside and saw that no one was moving, telling her that they were all still asleep. Yang's eyes scanned the room and she almost let herself get consumed by her rage upon seeing Weiss and Blake. Back in her timeline, her two teammates had betrayed her and Ruby in the worst possible ways imaginable. Even if she had taken her revenge upon them back in her time, her hatred towards them had not disappeared at all. However, the brawler knew that getting angry at them now would only cause problems, so she forced herself to calm down.

Once she had managed to calm herself, Yang's eyes fell upon Ruby's sleeping form. The time traveler couldn't help herself as she walked up to the bed and stood on her toes in order to see the young redhead better. Unfortunately, Ruby's back was turned towards her, so Yang couldn't see her face. Because of this, the blonde decided to climb up to the young team leader's bed. Luckily she had learned to be stealthy back in her world, which allowed her to not wake up neither Ruby nor Weiss.

Now that she was looming over Ruby's sleeping body, Yang could get a good look at her face. The redhead was completely peaceful and slightly snoring as she slept. Seeing Ruby like this after so long almost caused Yang to start crying again, as she remembered how the sniper looked last time she had seen her. It was just too good to see the young girl like this again. Thanks to a great deal of willpower, the time traveler managed to hold back her sobs, but a couple of tears still escaped her eyes and fell on the girl below her. Upon feeling something wet fall on her, Ruby started to wake up and slowly opened her eyes.

''Yang? Is something-?'' the redhead began to ask as she saw the tears in the blonde's eyes, which made her worry. However, she was quickly silenced by a hand covering her mouth.

''Shhh, Ruby. Everything's okay,'' Yang whispered gently and began to gently stroke the side of Ruby's face. ''Just go back to sleep. Everything will be alright.''

The sniper slowly nodded and laid back down on her bed. She then closed her eyes and soon fell asleep again. Once Ruby was sleeping again, Yang got off from the bed and went to the bathroom to change into her own sleepwear

As soon as the blonde had entered the bathroom, she let out a couple of silent sobs as more tears fell from her eyes. Seeing Ruby alive again had been her greatest wish for years and now it had finally come true. Yang was so happy that she was almost unable to change her clothes properly, but managed to do it despite having difficulties.

Now that she had changed, the time traveler decided to go to sleep like the rest of her team. As she was climbing up to her bed, she couldn't help but shoot a glare at both Weiss and Blake. Yang was very tempted to simply take a pillow and suffocate the two girls, but managed to hold her murderous intent back. She knew that she had to be careful or everything she had worked for would be for nothing.

While she was laying on her bed, the blonde started to think about her current situation. Now that she was back in the past, she had the perfect chance of saving Ruby from the horrors she had to go through in her time. However, going back to the past had not come without it's price. In order to learn the necessary spell to make the trip to the past, Yang had to spend years studying ancient spells from the archives of both Salem and Ozpin. She had luckily managed to learn a spell to give back her youth, as well, which allowed her to go back in time looking like she had back then. But time travel itself took a lot from the traveler. In order to go back in time, the spell actually drains the user's Aura depending on how far they travel. Yang had to use entire truckloads of Dust along with magic to increase her own Aura so much that she didn't simply die from the travel. Now that she had gotten to where she wanted, the time traveler had about the same amount of Aura she used to have back in this time. It was a good amount, but not enough to defeat some of the people she would be facing.

Not only was Yang lacking the necessary Aura to fight some of her enemies, but she was also lacking in resources. First, she was completely alone against many enemies. Even if she were to tell about some of the things that would happen in the future, there was a big chance no one would believe her, especially without proof. Not only that, but the brawler also lacked decent weaponry. While the Ember Celica she had taken from this timeline's Yang were good, they would not be good enough against opponents like Cinder or Salem.

However, while she did lack a lot of things, there was one thing that Yang had that gave her an advantage. It was knowledge. She knew about a lot of things that would happen and could thus prepare for them in advance. The betrayals from her friends, the fall of Beacon and many other things were practically burned into her memory. The blonde also knew the identities and abilities of her enemies, giving her an edge in fighting them. This was especially good for Cinder and her followers, who were currently thinking that no one knew who they truly were. Besides all of this information, Yang knew a lot of skills that she had practiced back in her timeline, like her stealth skills. While a lot of them were unusable for her thanks to the time travel, she still knew how to use them. It was only a matter of preparing herself enough to use them.

But at the end of the day, the blonde couldn't go too far with what she was going to do. At the moment, she had many enemies to worry about. Salem's faction, the SDC, the White Fang, Ozpin and many others. Each and every one of her friends would join one of the factions fighting for control over Remnant for whatever reason they had. And every faction wanted to either use or hurt Ruby for their own reasons, as well. Yang needed to be careful with how she acted or she would have weapons pointed at her before she would be ready to face them.

Right now, however, it was time for her to rest. Yang took one last look at Ruby before drifting into sleep.

Unfortunately for her, her dreams wouldn't be nice.

* * *

Yang was walking through an empty field that was covered in mist. The mist was so thick that the brawler was barely able to see anything at all. She kept walking forward, hoping to find something or someone. After walking for a while, Yang saw the hazy figure of a person up ahead. She immediately quickened her pace in the hopes of reaching them faster. As she got closer to them, the person started to look clearer and clearer, until she saw that it was Cinder.

The blonde's eyes turned red from anger upon seeing her enemy and she rushed at her, intent on beating her to death. As soon as she got close enough, Yang punched the raven-haired woman in the gut, her fist going right through her body. Blood was dripping to the ground as Cinder fell down. As she was certain that her enemy was dead, the brawler looked up to see all of her enemies standing in front of her. Weiss, Blake, Ozpin, Salem and everybody else was there, looking at her with cocky smirks on their faces.

Yang readied herself for a fight, but stopped upon seeing a certain someone standing among her opponents. Cinder Fall was standing there and she was completely unharmed.

Before the blonde could ask how the raven-haired woman had survived her attack, Weiss spoke up, ''Well, aren't you the scary murderer?'' the heiress asked in a mocking tone. ''Who are you to blame any of us for killing Ruby, when you're the guilty one?''

''What are you-!?'' Yang began to ask, but the sound of someone coughing below cut her off. She looked down and her blood froze upon seeing Ruby laying on the ground with blood flowing out of a hole in her gut. ''RUBY!''

''Yang... Why...?'' the redhead asked weakly. ''Why would you... hurt me?''

''No, no, no, no! I didn't mean to hurt you! It's a mistake!'' the blonde said in a panic as she gathered the dying girl in her arms. ''It wasn't supposed to be like this! I swear!''

''Yang... Why? Why!? WHY!?''

Yang's eyes went wide when Ruby's appearance suddenly changed. In an instant, she looked just like she did the last time the blonde had seen her alive. The redhead's skin was paler than normal and she was so thin that her bones were showing. Her legs were bruised and damaged so badly that it was clear to anyone she would never walk again. Her right arm was covered in scratches and bruises, while all that was left of her left arm was a stump. But the worst part was Ruby's face. It had several scars, she was missing most of her teeth and her left eye. Her right eye still remained, but it wasn't the bright silver color it was supposed to be. Instead, it was a dull gray color, telling anyone who saw it that the eye was blind.

Despite Ruby's loss of eyesight, she looked at Yang straight in the eyes and screamed at her in fury. In turn, the blonde screamed in terror upon seeing the form the redhead had taken.

* * *

Back in reality, Yang woke up covered in sweat and panting. The nightmare she had just seen was playing in her head and the only thing that calmed her down was seeing Ruby alive and well. The blonde looked around a bit and saw that no one else had woken up yet.

Knowing that she wouldn't be getting anymore sleep, Yang got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to take a shower and wash off the sweat. Once that was done, the blonde changed into her normal clothes and went to stare at herself from the bathroom mirror. It still amazed her just how well the spell to bring back her youth had worked. There wasn't a single thing on her that told anyone just how long she had truly lived. The only thing that Yang could tell was different from her other self that she had disposed of, was that her own eyes didn't seem to have the same brightness they were supposed to. If one were to truly look into her eyes, they could see the years of pain and bloodshed her lilac eyes held.

While in the middle of her inspection, memories of her dream came back to the time traveler. She had to take a hold of the sink in order to support herself, as she remembered the way Ruby looked. Back in her timeline, the redhead had been passed through numerous people who wanted to use her one way or another. Some wanted to use her for the power of her silver eyes, others simply wanted to use her as a toy. From Ozpin to Weiss to Blake to Cinder, Ruby got passed down to everyone who each took their turn in destroying her little by little. In the end, all that remained was essentially a living corpse. Her body was too broken for her to do anything and her mind was in an even worse shape. After all of the hellish torture she had gone through, Ruby had lost all sense of herself and only knew pain from that point on.

And Yang was the one who was forced to put her out of her misery.

Thinking back to that moment made the blonde boil with rage. She could still remember how miserable Ruby had been. And how none of the people who caused that felt anything about it. Just remembering the arrogant looks on their faces caused Yang's eyes to turn red, her hair to glow and her hands to clutch on the sink so hard that it started to crack.

''Yang, would you mind and come out of there already!?'' Weiss' voice screamed from the other side of the bathroom, snapping the brawler out of her thoughts. ''There are other people here who need to use the bathroom, you dolt!''

Yang turned to glare at the door and almost charged towards it, intent on beating the life out of the heiress. However, she managed to take a couple of deep, calming breaths and just walked out of the bathroom and let her teammate enter.

''You brute, what have you done here!?'' Weiss screamed upon seeing the cracks on the sink. ''Why have you destroyed the sink!?''

''Oh, shut your big, fat mouth, princess!'' Yang yelled at the white-haired girl, shocking her and their other teammates. ''I just had a little accident, and you can still use the sink, so stop whining! Your screaming is not the first thing I want to hear in the morning!''

For a moment, Weiss could only stare at the tall blonde with wide eyes. She had expected her teammate to either apologize or make some sort of a joke, but not yell angrily back at her. The fencer quickly got over her shock and got even angrier at Yang.

''How dare you speak to me like that!? Do you have any idea what I could-!?''

Weiss' rant was stopped by Yang walking right up to her face and glaring down at her. The heiress quickly forgot about her anger towards her teammate, as the look on the blonde's face was simply terrifying to her. Thanks to their difference in height and the downright murderous aura around Yang, Weiss felt like a tiny, scared child in front of the bigger girl.

''Now you listen here and listen good,'' the brawler said while gritting her teeth in anger. ''I don't give a damn who you are and neither does anybody else. When you're here, you're no longer the untouchable princess whose ass everybody's kissing. Here you are just like everybody else, so drop the attitude before it gets you hurt or worse. Got it?''

Weiss could only stand and shake as she listened to Yang's words. Despite having faced faced numerous Grimm in her training to become a Huntress, this was the first time she was facing someone that truly scared her. For some reason, Yang was just oozing with threat, causing the heiress to freeze. But even if she was scared, she still wanted say something in return. After all, she still had her pride as the heiress of the SDC and she didn't like having someone hurt that pride.

Luckily for the white-haired girl, her partner managed to step between her two teammates before things got out of hand. Ruby pushed the two girls away from each other, hoping that she could prevent a fight from breaking out.

''Guys, calm down!'' the team leader pleaded. ''I know we have our differences and everything, but we are still a team and we need to stick together! We can't go on if we are at each other's throats!''

While Yang seemed to calm down upon the younger girl interfering, Weiss didn't. The heiress felt too insulted to just let things slide.

''Now hold on here!'' Weiss yelled at Ruby, causing Yang to get angry again. ''She was the one who started this all! How can you just go and defend her like this!?''

''I'm not defending or taking sides with anyone, Weiss! I just know that whatever is causing you two to have this argument, it cannot be solved while you're both so riled up!'' the scythe-wielder answered. ''I think you both need to take some time to cool off before we can solve this! How does that sound?''

Both Yang and Weiss gave each other a glare before nodding. The blonde went to stand in a corner of the room as far away from the other girls as possible, while the fencer went to the bathroom. Ruby let out a sigh of relief upon seeing the situation calm down a bit at least.

Now that things had calmed down a bit, Blake decided to walk up to her team leader in order to ask about the situation. As she did this, the cat faunus failed to notice her partner getting angrier, which could be seen by the frown on her face and her eyes flashing red for a second.

''Any idea what's going on between Weiss and your sister?'' Blake whispered to the younger girl. ''It seemed like they were ready to tear each other apart.''

''No idea,'' Ruby answered. ''I know they have their differences, but I have absolutely no idea why they're acting like this. I hope we can find out what it is, after they have both calmed down a bit.''

The conversation between the two girls was interrupted by their blonde teammate suddenly walking up to them. She took Ruby by the arm and gently dragged her along away from Blake.

''Rubes, wanna play some cards while you wait for your turn in the bathroom?'' Yang asked while she took the younger girl with her. Ruby gave a nod and decided to go along with it. Blake was about to ask if she could join, but saw her partner give her the most hateful glare she had ever seen, which made her stay silent.

After some time, each member of team RWBY had their turn at the bathroom and were now ready for the day. It was Saturday, so the four girls didn't have any classes. However, that didn't mean that they didn't have plans for the day. In fact, it had been decided earlier that week that they would have a ''partner day,'' where each of them would spend time with their designated partner.

''So, Weiss, are you ready for our special partner day?'' Ruby asked excitedly. ''What do you want to do? Wanna go to the movies? Or the arcade?''

''Neither. I want the two of us to go to the library and study,'' Weiss answered. ''You're still lacking in certain subjects and i want my team's leader to be the best she can be.''

''But Weiss, we did that last time we had a partner day! And almost every other time before that! Can't we have fun for once!?'' the redhead whined, hoping that her partner would loosen up a bit.

''The life of a Huntress is not a game, Ruby!'' the heiress yelled, annoyed by how her partner was acting. ''You need to take your work seriously, if you want to be a great Huntress, and that means studying!''

Before Ruby could say anything more, a pair of arms came from behind her and pulled her into a strong hug, almost as if to protect her from Weiss. The team leader looked up to see Yang glare at Weiss.

''Actually, how about I hang out with Ruby for today?'' the blonde asked without looking away from the fencer. ''I would like to spend some time with her for once.''

''W-What are you saying!?'' Weiss yelled, angry that her blonde teammate was causing her problems again. ''She needs to study in order to-!''

''She's already smart enough as it is!'' Yang yelled, cutting off the white-haired girl. ''You probably don't see it since apparently nothing is ever good enough for you, but she does work hard on her studies! However, she deserves to have fun, as well, and not just rot while studying like you do! So how about you back off and let me give her a fun time like she deserves!?''

Before the heiress could start ranting angrily, Blake stepped in, hoping to stop the arguing before it got too bad.

''Weiss, maybe we should let Yang hang out with Ruby this time,'' the cat faunus said. ''Truth be told, she hasn't been able to spend time alone with her sister for some time now and I think we could all use a little change. Besides, she is right about Ruby and her studies. She is doing just fine so it should be okay for her to skip study session this time, right?''

''Ugh! Fine!'' Weiss said, clearly displeased that she was forced to back off. ''But she better go to her next study session, got it!?''

Seeing that her white-haired teammate had come to an agreement, Blake turned to look at her blonde teammate. She expected her partner to give her a look of gratitude, but was shocked to see a look of hatred directed towards her instead.

''Thanks, Blake,'' Yang said, sounding like she had to force each word out of her mouth.

''Don't... mention it,'' Blake responded, taken aback by how the brawler was acting.

With everything settled, Yang walked out of the dorm with Ruby, while having her arm wrapped around the redhead's shoulders. Once the two had left, Weiss let out her frustrations in one loud scream.

''GAAAAH! What's with that damn brute today!?'' the heiress asked angrily. ''She's treating me like I'm her worst enemy or something!''

''It's not just you, Weiss. She seems to also have a problem with me, too,'' Blake said. ''It's like we have suddenly become her worst enemies or something. Not even the faunus-hating humans I encountered in my life have ever given me such a hateful look she gave me just now.''

''Just what the hell is wrong with her!?''

''I don't know. But I hope Ruby can find out. Yang seems to be still okay with her, after all.''

* * *

 **Author's notes: Sorry if this wasn't exactly the most exciting chapter. I felt that there was a lot of things that needed to be explained, so this became a chapter to ''explain a lot of shit'' essentially. Hope it was at least a bit interesting.**

 **Also, I would like to respond to a review left by a person named Hn.**

 **First, I would like to offer you my thanks for checking out my story despite having a problem with the pairing. I personally can be very picky and can let small things prevent me from reading a story, so you have my gratitude for reading my story despite the problem you had.**

 **I know that a Yang/Ruby story can be very weird due to the actual canon, but I swear that the reason I'm writing them like this is because of what type of characters they are in their personalities and not because of them being sisters. I know that no matter what I do, Yang and Ruby being sisters will never change, and that RT would probably name me ''their worst fan ever,'' if they saw my stories. However, if I were to write these stories differently, I would essentially lie to myself, as it wouldn't be what I want to write. I know that a lot of people can't get over the pairing, but I hope that I'm at least allowed to write my story, as it is what I want to write. Despite how weird that is.  
**

 **So, thanks again for giving me a chance and I hope you understand my point of view as well. This goes to all others who have read this story, too.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	3. Time With Ruby

**Securing A Future**

 **Chapter 3: Time With Ruby**

Yang and Ruby were walking through the hallways of Beacon, with the older girl keeping her arm around the younger one's shoulders. Ruby couldn't help but feel like something was wrong with Yang, judging by the way she was holding her. While it didn't look like anything strange was going on, the redhead could feel how she was being held. The blonde was holding very tightly on her, like she was afraid that Ruby would run away if she let go. The young team leader did try to step away from Yang a bit, only for the brawler to pull her closer and tighten her hold. Ruby also noticed how Yang's hold would get tighter when they met people they knew, like she was preparing to protect the younger girl.

''Ummm... Yang? Is something wrong?'' Ruby finally asked, hoping to get some answers. ''You've been acting strangely for a while now.''

''Nothing's wrong, Ruby,'' Yang lied, hoping to avoid the issue. ''I just have a lot on my mind right now.''

''Isn't that usually what happens when something is wrong? Come on, you can tell me.''

The time traveler was about to deny anything being wrong again, but stopped. She decided to lead the girl to the library, where they then went to a more secluded area. With no one around to listen, Yang decided to tell the truth to the redhead.

Or at least a bit of the truth.

''Ruby, the thing is that I learned something very disturbing not too long ago and it has got me worried,'' the blonde explained. ''I'm worried about what might happen to you.''

''What happened?'' Ruby asked. ''You've been acting strangely since last night, so I can't imagine what it is.''

''An old friend of mine died,'' Yang answered, causing the redhead to go wide-eyed. ''I hadn't seen her or heard from her for a long time, but I still remembered her. It was a shock to me to hear about what happened. Especially when I learned what truly happened to her.''

''What do you mean by that?''

''She was killed by a couple of people I knew,'' the brawler explained. Ruby let out a gasp of shock from hearing this. ''I had my problems with them, but I would have never expected them to do something as horrifying as they did. Just the idea that people I used to know and might have even considered my friends at one time could do something like that scares me.''

''Is.. Is this the reason why you were on edge with Weiss this morning?'' Ruby asked. ''Also, who was this friend of yours?''

''That friend of mine was someone I knew a long time ago. You've never met her,'' Yang quickly lied. ''But yes. It's because of this that I've been very much on edge. I mean, if those people I knew could do it, why couldn't the friends we have here?''

''Yang, you can't push people away from you because of something other people have done,'' the young team leader said in a slightly stern, but also comforting tone. ''I know you're worried about what might happen after hearing what happened to your friend, but that is no excuse for you to get all aggressive towards other people. Especially when they haven't done anything to earn your anger.''

''But how can I know that they won't do the same!?'' the brawler asked. ''I've seen how Weiss treats you, and don't even get me started on how Blake acts, always keeping to herself and not treating us like the team we should be! How can I trust them not to betray us!?''

''They're our teammates, Yang,'' Ruby answered. ''We are going to need to be able to get along with each other, no matter how hard it may be at times. Besides, if we can't show them any trust, we don't deserve their trust in return.''

''Ruby, I...'' Yang started, about to tell the younger girl how their friends would betray them, but stopped herself. Telling Ruby about the future wouldn't most likely help and would probably just make things difficult. ''Never mind. You're right. But can I ask you something?''

''Sure! Go ahead.''

''If I were to tell you that there were people we know that are planning to do something bad, what would you do? Would you take them down before they had the chance to fulfill their plans or would you do something else?''

''Well... we can't really judge someone on something they haven't done yet, in my opinion. Not to mention, friends and family should also help those close to them in any way possible, which I think includes keeping them from doing terrible mistakes. That's at least how I see it.''

Yang looked at Ruby's eyes and could see just how serious the redhead was. There wasn't even a hint of hesitation in her eyes. While the blonde thought that Ruby was naive, she couldn't help but admire the girl's sincerity and dedication to her ideals. Yang couldn't help but pull the sniper into a tight hug.

''You're too good for your own good, you know?'' the blonde said with a smile while holding the younger girl in her arms. ''No matter what the case is, you are always trying to find the solution with as many people left happy as possible. How can you be like that?''

''Well, someone has to,'' Ruby answered with a smirk. ''Besides, what kind of a Huntress would I be, if I wasn't trying to make the people around me happy?''

The two girls kept hugging each other a bit longer before breaking it up. They walked out of the library and stood outside it's entrance, wondering how they should spend the day.

''So... Any ideas on what you would like to do for today?'' Ruby asked. ''We could go to Vale and head to the arcade or the movies, but I'm open for other suggestions.''

Yang suddenly had an idea. Not only would it be a great way for the two of them to spend time together, but it could help her with one of her problems. And Ruby was just the perfect person for it, as well.

''Actually, I was thinking that you could help me work on something,'' the blonde answered with a big smile. ''You see, I've been thinking about upgrading my weaponry, but I can't really get any good ideas. I was wondering if you could help me out with that?''

Ruby's eyes went wide and shined with excitement. If there was one thing that the redhead liked, it was weapons. She liked to read about them, study them and even think of new ideas. Now she had a rare opportunity of getting to work with someone to help them develop their weapons. It was a chance she had never gotten before.

''REALLY!?'' Ruby squealed happily with the biggest possible smile on her face. ''You're really going to let me work on your weapons!? Can I really do that!?''

''Of course you can,'' Yang answered with a chuckle, amused by the younger girl's reaction. ''I'm the one who is asking, after all.''

''Oh my gosh! This is going to be so fun!'' the redhead said, her mind already thinking of possibilities. ''But I have to ask, what brought this up?''

''Well, as much as I like my Ember Celica, I can't help but feel like I need something better,'' the blonde explained. ''I want to be better prepared for the battles we are going to be facing in the future from now on.''

Ruby gave a nod at the older girl's explanation and then said, ''To the workshop then!''

Yang couldn't help but chuckle at the team leader's antics, before following her towards their destination.

* * *

Beacon's workshop was meant to be used by the students to not only repair and maintain their weapons, but for them to possibly build new ones. The school wanted to encourage their students to try out and explore new ways of fighting, so that they could improve as fighters. However, the school's workshop was still rather limited in what it could offer. Even with all the possible tools that the students could use design and build their new weapons, the place lacked a lot of materials. Depending on what you wanted to build, you might need different metals or parts for the different mechanics. Not to mention Dust. The workshop only had a very limited amount of things to build anything from, leaving students to find their own way to buy the materials they needed, and unless you were from a rich family, chances were that you wouldn't get what you needed.

Because of the lack of materials, most students would only use the workshop for basic upkeep on their equipment, leaving it empty for most of the time. But this was exactly what Yang wanted. She wanted to spend some time with Ruby in private, without anyone disturbing them. This was especially important considering what they would be doing. Having new weaponry meant a possible new edge over the blonde's enemies, so she didn't want anyone unwanted finding out about it.

''Alright, since we are only beginning, we should start by making some plans first,'' Ruby said and led Yang to a table with a computer. These were meant for the students to do research on the weapons and materials they needed, and to make blueprints. ''We can't exactly go into work without any idea on what we're doing, right?''

''I guess so,'' the older girl replied with a small smile and took a seat with Ruby at the computer. ''So how do we start exactly?''

''Well, how about you tell me what you're looking for?'' the redhead asked as she turned on the computer. ''I kind of need to know what you want before I can make anything, after all.''

''Sounds reasonable, but I'm not sure if what I want can be made all that easily,'' Yang said. ''You see, I feel like I need to improve my equipment on many different areas. While my Ember Celica are good weapons, they essentially only serve to make my punches better. I need something that helps improve my defense and ranged attacks. Something that would make me a bit more... well-rounded, I guess.''

Ruby gave a nod and said, ''I think I may have something already in store. Why don't we take a look?''

''Wait, what do you mean by that?'' the brawler asked, confused by the redhead's words.

''Oh, I've had some spare time, so I have been thinking up ideas on how to improve the equipment of my teammates,'' Ruby said with a slightly embarrassed look on her face. ''It's a bit of a hobby of mine to make blueprints for weapons, so I've been making some that could suit you guys as well.''

Yang gave a nod at the sniper's explanation. She knew how the younger girl was practically obsessed with weapons, so it made sense that she would be making plans for new weaponry as a hobby. To be honest, the time traveler was happy about this new revelation, as it could possibly serve to help her goals in the future.

''That sounds great, Rubes,'' Yang said with a smile. ''Care to show me what you've got for me?''

''Coming right up!'' the young team leader responded happily and opened up some files. The older girl saw several blueprints and sketches that resembled her Ember Celica, except the gun part had been changed. There were variations for flamethrowers, grenade launchers, machine guns and so on. ''First, I kind of wondered if a different type of gun on your gauntlets could provide some help. Depending on which one of these is used, you can use them with your fighting style to help assist in different things. For example, the flamethrower could help you while fighting up close or by essentially creating a wall of flames between you and your opponent. And the machine guns could help with fighting from a longer range.''

The time traveler looked at what Ruby had made and thought about it. While certain ones of these could help in areas she was lacking, they would essentially just offer small help for her. What Yang needed was something that was a bit more versatile.

''Sorry, Ruby, but I don't think these would work,'' the blonde said. ''I need something that can help me in more than one area. These don't really offer that.''

''That's okay! I'm not starting with the better stuff anyway!'' Ruby said before closing the files and opening new ones. This time Yang saw blueprints for what seemed like full-body battle armor. ''Now, this I designed for the purpose of giving you a better defense. The armor protects every part of your body, while allowing you to still move relatively well. It does add a lot of weight on you, but I'm sure you're able to handle it with your strength. In addition, you have increased firepower from cannons that are there to replace your old shotguns.''

Yang looked at the blueprints and liked what she saw. The armor could even be enhanced with Dust, thus making it practically indestructible. If she were to use this, the brawler wouldn't have to worry about most attacks, and the increased firepower would make her a force to be reckoned with. However, Yang knew that this wasn't the thing she was looking for. Although the armor would be formidable, a clever opponent could work their way around it, and the blonde had plenty of those. Not to mention, the decrease in mobility didn't really suit her.

''I like the idea, but I think I'm looking for something else,'' Yang said. ''While I like the protection this would provide, I fear that the decrease in my movement would be too big of a problem for me to handle.''

''Well, thankfully I left my favorite for last!'' Ruby exclaimed and opened a new set of files. ''I think this might be more of what you're looking for.''

The blonde looked at what was in front of her and her eyes went wide. The redhead had been right about this new design being what she had been looking for. In the files were blueprints for completely new gauntlets for Yang. Ones that were much bigger and more powerful than what she currently had. Instead of just covering a part of her arm, these gauntlets covered her arms from her elbows to her hands completely, offering better protection. There was also a mechanism that allowed the user to switch the gun-part from a shotgun to a grenade launcher, which made the weapons better for different situations. There was also a part for canisters of Dust that could be used to make her attacks even more deadly.

''Like it so far? This is just the first part of the set,'' Ruby said with a grin and opened some more files. ''These are supposed to be used along with the gauntlets.''

Yang looked and saw that there were now blueprints for body armor and some attachments to her boots. The armor would provide extra protection from bullets and other projectiles, thus saving her Aura from being used. It was also made so that it could be worn under her regular clothes. The attachments to her boots were essentially rocket boosters. On the surface, they would look like decorations, but they would actually be used to launch the user into the air or even to attack opponents with.

''Ruby, these are brilliant!'' Yang exclaimed happily. ''This is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks to these, I will be able to handle myself in a lot more different situations than before! How long do you think it will take us to make these!?''

The young team leader was about to answer, but suddenly stopped. Her expression changed from one of excitement to one of disappointment and depression. It was like a child who was ashamed of themselves for disappointing their parents. Yang didn't know what suddenly came over Ruby, but it broke her heart to see her like this. She needed to find out what was wrong.

''Rubes? What's wrong?'' the blonde gently asked and put a hand on the girl's shoulder in an effort to give her comfort. ''If something's wrong, you can tell me.''

''Yang... I'm sorry, but we can't make these,'' Ruby said in a saddened tone. It sounded like she had to force the words to come from her mouth. ''The school doesn't have the materials we need. And we have nowhere enough money to buy them...''

''Hey now, don't be like that,'' Yang said in a soothing tone and pulled the redhead into a hug. ''It's not like I ordered you to make them or anything. I just asked if you could help me get better equipment. You shouldn't feel obligated about getting me something I want. Okay?''

''But I you were so excited, only for it to-''

''Besides, you don't need to worry about the money. I've got it covered,'' the brawler suddenly said, cutting off Ruby and causing her to look at the older girl with wide eyes.

''What!? Really!? How!?'' the sniper asked, not able to believe what she heard.

''I've kind of done some things at a few places that got me some cash,'' Yang said with a smirk. In truth, she had just taken all the money she could from Junior and his group, after killing them. While not at the level of Weiss' allowance, it was still a pretty good amount. The blonde had also taken a couple of items from Junior's club, knowing that they would be useful to her. ''So, you think we'll be able to build them?''

''But... But Yang, I can't just have you pay for-'' Ruby began to say, but was cut off by Yang playfully pinching her cheek.

''Rubes, this gear is all for me, right? So why should you be the one paying for it?'' the brawler asked with a gentle smile on her face. ''I think it's only right for me to pay for them. So how about we stop worrying about a problem we don't have and start discussing what we're going to do next?''

Upon seeing how serious the older girl was, Ruby got her excitement back and she soon started showing different parts of her blueprints and explaining some of the finer details in them. The redhead went on to talk about what materials they would use and why, what kind of mechanisms the weapons would have and all sorts of other things.

Ruby was so focused on talking about the weapons she had designed that she didn't notice how Yang wasn't paying any attention to a word she said. The blonde was too busy staring at the young team leader's face. Seeing Ruby practically shine with life was something Yang had missed seeing for many years now and she couldn't help but admire the sight before her eyes. The time traveler was reminded of all the good times she had with the redhead and it brought a look of pure happiness to her face. She could just sit there for hours and just watch Ruby, as it alone brought joy to her heart.

''Yang? Yang!'' the redhead called out to said girl after seeing her space out. She even snapped her fingers in front of the blonde to get her attention. ''Yang, were you listening at all to what I was saying just now?''

''Sorry, Rubes,'' Yang apologized. ''I was kind of lost in thought for a moment. What were you saying?''

''I was just talking about an additional add-on to your new gauntlets. They would provide you with a new weapon to be used as a trump card,'' the redhead answered. ''Take a look.''

The time traveler looked at what Ruby was showing and her eyes went wide before a small grin appeared on her face.

''That's perfect, Ruby. Please make them. I'll handle the expenses.''

* * *

Since the two girls were only starting on their new weapon project, their first time working on them was spent on making the final blueprints. Even though Ruby had already made blueprints, they still needed to make changes in them in order to make sure everything was perfect. They also decided on the materials they would be using and looked up where they could get them.

Once they were done in the workshop, Ruby and Yang spent some time simply hanging out together. They didn't do anything special, mostly just stuff they used to do when they were younger. The two girls played video games, read comic books together and just spent some time talking. This was something Yang had dearly missed for years and she was going to enjoy as much of it as she could.

Eventually, it was time for dinner and the two girls went to the cafeteria. There they went to sit with their teammates, even if Yang didn't like it. Although the blonde had calmed down a bit since the morning, she still wasn't comfortable around Weiss or Blake. It took a great deal of willpower for her to keep her anger in check.

''Hey, Yang. I would like to say something to you,'' Weiss suddenly stated.

''What is it?'' the time traveler asked with a small frown on her face. She had been hoping that she wouldn't need to talk with the heiress.

''I would like to apologize for what happened this morning.''

For a moment, all Yang could do was stare at Weiss with wide eyes in complete silence. She had not expected the fencer to say anything like that to her.

''Excuse me?'' the blonde asked, not believing her ears.

''You heard me. I'm sorry about what happened this morning,'' Weiss answered. ''Although you did damage the sink, it didn't give me the right to react the way I did. I know that I can be... difficult at times, but I do wish to be the best possible teammate to you all. And that includes you as well, Yang.''

Yang stared at the heiress' face for any signs of deceit, thinking that this was some plot to fool her. However, all she could see was how serious and sincere Weiss was about what she had just said. It was completely different from what she had expected from the white-haired girl.

The time traveler also looked at Blake to see if she was similar to Weiss. And much to her surprise, the cat faunus was actually giving her a reassuring smile, as if to tell her that she would also support her like Weiss.

''Oh! Ummm... It's okay. I mean, I did put cracks into the sink, so that was my bad,'' Yang said with a slight, embarrassed blush on her face. ''No need to take all the blame for what happened.''

From that point on, the four members of team RWBY went on to talk together like any other team. It was like nothing bad had ever happened between them and they had been best friends for a long time. No sign of any trouble among them at all.

Upon realizing that she was enjoying her time with who were essentially her mortal enemies, Yang thought back on what Ruby had said to her earlier that day. How they shouldn't judge people on what they hadn't done yet and how they should help them stay on the right path. Maybe there was no need for her revenge? Maybe she could help her friends avoid doing the things they did in her timeline? Or perhaps since this was a new timeline, things would already be different?

Yang couldn't help but smile upon thinking about the possibilities.

However, while the members of team RWBY were enjoying their time together, another team that wasn't as positive soon walked up to them and sat next to them. This was team JNPR and three of it's members were trying to offer comfort to their leader, Jaune, who seemed to be rather beat up and bruised.

''Hey guys. Is everything alright?'' Ruby asked, concerned for her friends. ''What happened to Jaune?''

''It was team CRDL,'' Ren answered, showing some anger upon thinking about the team of bullies. ''They ambushed Jaune at one of the hallways and beat him up guite a bit. It would have been worse, if we hadn't shown up.''

''I'm so pathetic,'' Jaune said in a broken voice. ''I should be able to fight my own battles and not be relying on my teammates to save me all the time.''

''That's what teammates are for, Jaune,'' Pyrrha said in a comforting tone. ''Besides, it was four against one. No one can beat those odds.''

''You can. And I'm sure all of you can. I'm the only one who can't,'' the blonde knight said. ''I just... I just want to be stronger. Strong enough to not need help all the time. I would do anything for that.''

While most of team JNPR and team RWBY were trying their best to comfort Jaune and assure him that he was doing fine, there was one person who didn't do it. That was Yang, whose eyes had taken a cold look into the upon hearing JNPR's leader's words. She remembered those words, as Jaune had said them before joining Cinder's side.

It was upon this realization that the blonde came to a conclusion. The future wouldn't change unless she made it change. And she saw only one way to do this.

Jaune Arc had to die.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Sorry for the wait. I was supposed to have this finished earlier, but I got distracted by other stuff. I'll try to get the next chapter up a bit faster.**

 **Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter. I kind of felt that since Yang came from a future where she saw just how dangerous her enemies could become, she would want to get better weaponry in order to fight them. I also felt that designing weapons would be a good way for her to spend time with Ruby as well.**

 **Also, I'm going to do one more chapter to this story and then I'll go back to writing other stuff, like War for Ruby. Hope you guys check it out when it comes.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	4. Stopping Arc

**Securing A Future**

 **Chapter 4: Stopping Arc**

Ever since the day Jaune talked about wanting to be stronger, Yang had been essentially stalking him. She spent as much time as she could keeping an eye on him, looking for any signs that he was going to go and swear his loyalty to Cinder. The blonde girl knew that it was going to happen sooner or later. The knight was perfect for the raven-haired villainess to seduce over to her side. His spirit was essentially broken and he was looking for a quick solution to his problem desperately, perfect for someone clever enough to manipulate.

While Jaune was without a doubt the weakest student in Beacon, there were good reasons as to why Cinder wanted him on her side. The first was his potential. It was the reason that Ozpin had let the blonde boy come to his school, despite him forging his papers. Even though most people saw Jaune as nothing but a weakling who was way over his head, anyone who could look a bit deeper could tell that he had a lot of potential for greatness.

The second reason was his natural talent for leadership. While the knight was not the greatest at combat, he very good at giving commands and coming up with strategies. It was thanks to this ability of his that Jaune managed to rise up in Cinder's ranks very fast, eventually making him one of the villainess' top-ranking officers.

However, the biggest reason had to be his influence on his team. While each and every one of Jaune's teammates was way stronger than him, they were all incredibly loyal and faithful to him. This led to the whole team JNPR joining Cinder along with it's leader. While the blonde boy's potential and leadership abilities could very well go to waste, there was no denying the abilities and strength of his teammates. Pyrrha in particular had been a big addition to Cinder's faction and she had quickly become one of it's top enforcers.

Yang knew from experience how dangerous it would be for Cinder to gain such allies. She needed to make sure that it wouldn't happen or she would be facing some truly terrifying opponents once again. The blonde would have to kill Jaune Arc and quickly, before the future she had lived through would come one step closer to being fulfilled. Unfortunately, the task was easier said than done. Not only was there the possibility for Yang to get caught for murder and becoming an outlaw, there was also the risk that Cinder would find out about her. The brawler couldn't let the raven-haired woman know that she knew of her group's true identities. It was the best advantage Yang had against her enemies and she couldn't lose it so early. Not to mention, if Jaune's teammates were to find out who murdered their beloved leader, they would go after the killer with full intention on killing them.

But even though the three other members of JNPR would prove to be dangerous upon losing their leader, it could also be used as an advantage. Yang had an idea on how to use the loyalty of the three members of JNPR for her own goals. She just needed to make a few preparations and that was it.

Despite the blonde girl keeping an eye on Jaune, she didn't dedicate all her time on that task. After all, she had finally been reunited with Ruby, her greatest desire for many years, and she was not going to let it go to waste. Whenever Yang had the time, she would use it to be with the young team leader, doing whatever fun activities came to their minds. They were also going through some final few details on the brawler's new weapons, such as some of the expenses the materials would bring. Luckily Yang had all the money they could need, so it wasn't really an issue, even if Ruby tried her best to make it seem like it. Whenever the redhead would get all flustered over the expenses for the materials she would be using and attempted to talk the older girl into letting her cover some of them, Yang would just reassure her that money was no problem and that she would handle it herself.

One day, the blonde girl was in the library with her teammates, doing their best to study for an upcoming test while Nora was causing a ruckus on a nearby table. While the RWB of the team were trying to study, Yang herself wasn't really doing any of the schoolwork. She already had plenty of knowledge through experience on the subject that she could pass the test without a problem. Her attention was on one of the occupants on the nearby table, Jaune. The time traveler knew that sooner or later the knight would get summoned by Cinder Fall, which would soon be followed by him joining her group.

While Yang's teammates were trying their best to focus on their studies and Ren tried his best to get Nora to quiet down with Pyrrha's assistance, the blonde girl kept glancing at Jaune every now and then. So far, the blonde boy was the calmest and most silent person in the whole library, as he simply stared down at his book and looked like he was lost in thought. It seemed like this was going to be another day of nothing really happening, until Jaune suddenly got a text message on his Scroll. After he read it, he quickly left the table, telling his teammates that he had something to take care of. Yang scowled at Jaune's back as he left, fully knowing what the thing he needed to take care of was. The brawler herself soon left, telling her teammates that she needed to go do something.

Yang followed after Jaune, far enough to not get noticed, but close enough to keep after him. They eventually left the school grounds and were soon in a nearby forest. The blonde knight walked deeper and deeper into the woods, away from any prying eyes. While this situation would have been ideal for the time traveler to kill her target, she couldn't just bring herself to do it right away. As much as she hated Jaune for what he did in her timeline, this was a different person. What if he wasn't here to meet Cinder at all? What if he would refuse her offer?

As long as these doubts remained in her heart, Yang was unable to act. She needed to make sure that things were going as she thought they were.

However, her doubts were soon washed away upon Jaune walking over to a rather large tree, as none other than Cinder Fall was there, waiting for him. The raven-haired woman also had her faithful servants, Emerald and Mercury, standing near her, ready to protect their master.

''I'm happy to see that you accepted my invitation, Mr. Arc,'' Cinder greeted the young knight. ''Or did you come here by accident? I really hope that isn't the case.''

''Are you the one who sent me that message? The one that said I could get the power I wanted?'' Jaune asked. While it didn't show in his voice or in most of his appearance, he was nervous, as sweat was falling from his forehead and he kept glancing between the three strangers. ''Who are you and what exactly are you offering me?''

''My name is Cinder Fall. And I am someone who is going to change this world,'' the raven-haired woman answered, the same arrogant smile still on her face that made Yang want to puke. ''Would you mind and join me? In return for your loyalty, I offer you the power that you seek.''

While Jaune was listening to Cinder's offer, Yang had taken out a Scroll and took a picture of the group. She had taken the flash out, so that she wouldn't be noticed by her enemies. The blonde had plans on how to use the picture for her own sake in the future. However, now she needed to wait and see how things played out with JNPR's leader.

''So, you're telling me that you can use this so called power of the Fall Maiden in order to increase my Aura, thus making me stronger?'' Jaune asked. ''But in exchange for me to get more powerful, I must help you conquer the world?''

''That is pretty much the deal,'' Cinder answered. ''Is there a problem with it?''

''Yes. The fat that it's insane,'' the blonde knight growled angrily, surprising everyone else around him, especially Yang. ''I don't think you know me too well, since I am not looking to become a villain. In fact, I hate people like you! People who think they can do whatever they want because they are strong! Why would I ever join with something that I hate!?''

Angered by the disrespect towards their master, Emerald and Mercury were about to attack Jaune, but were stopped by Cinder. The villainess still had a smile on her face, despite having her offer just rejected.

''Is that so? Are you really sure that you don't want to be like me?'' Cinder asked with a small laugh. ''How foolish.''

''What are you-?''

''Do you have any idea what type of people rule this world?'' the raven-haired woman asked, cutting off Jaune. ''Let me tell you something. It is exactly people like me who are at the top of this world. That Winchester boy is a perfect example.''

''CARDIN!?'' the blonde team leader yelled with wide eyes. ''What do you-!?''

''How do you think he is able to stay in one of the greatest Huntsman academies in the world, despite everything he does? How is he not kicked out of Beacon, even after harassing and abusing so many other students?'' Cinder asked with a smirk. ''The answer is simple. It's all because of his family name. The Winchester family is one of the oldest and respected names when it comes to Huntsmen. Their name has been known through generations and has roots right down to the founding of Vale itself. Even if Cardin himself isn't exactly... the most noble of men, it doesn't matter in the least. As long as he has his family name, he can do pretty much anything he wants. No one dares to offend the great house of Winchester, so they let him do as he pleases. In fact, I believe that before he came to Beacon, he left on student in his previous school crippled thanks to a ''prank'' of his.''

Jaune could only look down at his feet as he let this new information sink in. The boy that was making his life a living hell was essentially at the top of Vale, where no one could touch him. And Cardin was certainly not the only one like that. There were certainly others like him, despicable bastards who did what they wanted without caring who got hurt. Not only that, but the knight had a feeling that Cardin wasn't even the worst.

''And before you even think about saying that you will oppose people like him, don't bother. Many have tried, but all of them have failed,'' Cinder said. ''Many people like Cardin have been caught for numerous crimes they have done and none of them were ever fully stopped for committing such deeds again. Those people hold all the power and can do as they please, since there is never any punishment to them. Face it, Jaune, this world is rotten to the core, no matter how you try to justify it.''

''Then... Then what am I supposed to do?'' Jaune asked in a defeated tone. ''Are you telling me to just forget about being the good guy and just become the next bad guy? The one who will replace Cardin?''

''Pretty much. After all, why shouldn't you?'' the raven-haired woman said. ''Cardin's future is pretty much secured thanks to his family. Once he graduates from Beacon, what awaits him is a life of luxury and a high position. You, on the other hand, will have to struggle all your life just to bring bread to the table. And this will continue through the generations, with the next ones being your children and his children. What I'm asking you is to break this cycle and become the one who kicks people, instead of the doormat who gets kicked.''

The leader of JNPR stared down as he thought about what he just heard. Even if he were to graduate from Beacon, without getting found out or failing, his future wasn't secured. While there were many Huntsmen who earned a lot from their work, there were also numerous ones that essentially ended up as the lowest of society, and it wasn't even because of their lack of skill. Some people just had way better starts on their careers than others and it showed. Even a person like Cardin would get a life of greatness, but it wasn't from his own work. His path had already been set before his birth. All in all, life was unfair.

After thinking about it a bit, the leader of JNPR came to a decision. There was only one thing left to make sure.

''Can my... Can my teammates also join your group with me?'' Jaune asked. No matter how tempting the offer he was getting was, he would not abandon his team for any price. ''I know you're making this offer for me, but I can't just leave them behind.''

Cinder's smile got a bit bigger. Everything was going just the way she had hoped.

''Of course they can,'' the raven-haired woman answered. ''You know what they say, the more the merrier.''

''Then I accept your offer and swear my loyalty to you,'' the blonde knight said and got on his knees, bowing to his new master.

''I am very pleased to hear that,'' Cinder said and walked up to her new servant. Her right hand started to glow with a strange, orange light around it, indicating that she was using the power of the Fall Maiden. ''Now for my part of the deal.''

The villainess put her hand on Jaune's head and the orange light started to flow from it into the kneeling boy. As soon as the process started, Jaune felt an extreme, burning pain all through his body. His eyes went wide and he started screaming from the sheer agony he was in. This went on for about ten seconds, before Cinder pulled back, allowing the leader of team JNPR to catch his breath from the painful experience.

''It's done now,'' Cinder said while watching her new servant rise up to his feet. ''How do you feel?''

Jaune looked at his hands and other parts of his body with widened eyes. While there were no signs on his body that showed any change, he could definitely feel it. His whole body was now filled with power and strength that he could only dream of before. The knight felt like a volcano, ready to errupt on anyone foolish enough to disturb him. He was certain that if Cardin and his goons were to challenge him again, he would be able to take them on easily by himself. Jaune smiled as he thought about all the things he could do now. Especially when it came to people that had pushed him around.

''I feel incredible!'' the leader of JNPR exclaimed happily. ''I've never felt better in all of my life! It's like I'm filled to the brim with power, and that I can take on just about anyone! This is everything that I've dreamed of!''

''Then we are done here. Try not to draw too much attention to yourself and don't tell about this little deal of ours to anyone. Wait for my instructions before doing anything for now,'' Cinder said before starting to leave with Emerald and Mercury. ''I will see you later then.''

Jaune gave a nod and started to make his way back to Beacon. His body was shaking with excitement over getting his new upgrade from the villainess. The blonde knight could not help but smile as he felt power pulsing within him.

However, little did he know that his enjoyment would not last for long.

Jaune had made his way through the forest for some time, when he suddenly found Yang standing in front of him. The team leader's eyes went wide and he started to sweat a bit out of worry that his meeting with Cinder might have been seen. Despite his worry, he decided to try and play it cool, pretending that nothing had been happening.

''Uh... Hey, Yang,'' Jaune nervously greeted the brawler. ''What are you doing here?''

''I would normally ask you the same thing, but I'm pretty sure we both know the answer,'' Yang answered, causing the knight's body to jolt a bit. ''Isn't that right, newly appointed servant?''

''I-I have no idea what you're talking about!'' Jaune lied, hoping that things wouldn't go the way he feared they would. ''And what's with that weird nickname!? Wasn't vomit boy your name for-!?''

''Cut the crap, Arc,'' the time traveler practically growled, her eyes turning red for a quick second. ''You know exactly what I'm talking about.''

''Oh... So you did see that...'' JNPR's leader mumbled in a defeated tone. ''Can't you... just forget that you saw anything? I can give you a good word for Cinder or-''

''I DON'T NEED YOUR GODDAMN WORDS!'' Yang yelled in rage with her eyes turning red and staying that way. ''What I want is a goddamn answer! How could you betray everyone who cares about you like that!?''

After hearing the blonde girl's words, Jaune stopped being nervous. He looked at Yang straight in the eyes with an angry glare and stood his ground, showing no regret over what he had just done.

''You don't know how good you have it, do you?'' the knight asked angrily. ''All my life... All my miserable, worthless, pathetic excuse for a life, I've been nothing but a doormat. To my family. Other kids at school. And now here. I have never been strong, smart or charming. I have had literally NOTHING that puts me in a favorable position. But now, I have finally found a way to get something. Something that makes me more than the boy who is worse than everyone. Do you really think that I'm going to pass that? Because I swear that if you were in my shoes, you would do exactly the same.''

''It's true that I don't know how hard you have it, but it's not an excuse here,'' Yang said. ''Do you have any idea of what you have just done!? Cinder is not just some criminal, she is an enemy of Remnant itself! She is going to endanger the lives of everyone here, including your team and my team! How can you just swear your loyalty to someone like that!?''

''Like I told you, because I don't want to be a doormat anymore!'' Jaune yelled. ''You don't know how hard it is to be a person like me! Someone who wasn't born with power or a high place in society! Someone who is weak and can't properly protect himself! I have no other choice but to take what I can to make my life at least a bit better!''

''And that is worth sacrificing everyone around you?''

''Not everyone. I can get my team on my side. I just know that I can.''

''...You're right about that,'' Yang said with a sigh and got ready for a fight. ''I suppose it was stupid of me to ask anything from you. You have already made up your mind and I doubt that I can change it, no matter what I say. All I can do is stop you as soon as possible.''

''You think you can do that?'' Jaune asked with an arrogant smirk as he took out his weapons and readied himself, as well. ''I'm not the same anymore. I was hoping to try my new strength on Cardin and his goons, but I guess you'll be good enough. I doubt that even you'll last long.''

''I won't lose. The price for that is too big,'' the brawler said and thought, _'I'm not losing Ruby a second time.'_

Both fighters stood still for a moment, before Jaune suddenly charged towards Yang, swinging his sword downwards with all of his might. The time traveler jumped to the side, avoiding the attack. However, the power from the strike was so great that it left a large gash on the ground and split a nearby tree in half.

For a moment, Jaune stared at what he had just done with wide eyes before laughing like a maniac.

''DID YOU SEE THAT!?'' the knight asked while still laughing. ''THAT IS MY NEW POWER! DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT YOU HAVE ANY HOPE OF BEATING ME!?''

''I don't think I can beat you, Jaune. I know I can,'' Yang answered calmly before the battle continued.

Jaune charged towards his opponent, swinging as wildly as he could. The blonde boy was so blinded by his power that all thoughts of tactic and finesse flew right out of his head. He was so convinced that his new powers would be more than enough to get him the victory that he was satisfied by simply trying his best to kill Yang through nothing but sheer strength. However, even though his attacks were powerful, he failed to notice that the brawler had been evading all of his attacks with ease. All the knight managed to do was destroy the environment around them, while the brawler herself was not only unharmed but also not tired at all. Her plan was to keep evading Jaune's attacks while saving stamina, so that she could deal the finishing blow once he was out of breath. Yang knew that a head-on encounter with the knight would only end in her death, so this was the best way to win.

 _'When I fought Jaune back in my time, he was a truly powerful opponent. He wasn't just strong, but also very clever. I had a hard time beating him then,'_ the time traveler thought to herself as she kept dodging attacks. _'However, now he is nowhere near as experienced as he was back then. Now he is more like an excited child with a new toy, too blind to realize what's going on. I can already see him starting to get exhausted. Just a little more and it's my win.'_

True to Yang's words, Jaune was getting really tired from their fight. He was sweating a lot and breathing heavily. He hadn't realized his own situation yet, as he was still too caught up in having obtained power from Cinder.

''What's the matter? Are you so scared of me that you can only run away?'' the team leader taunted while panting. ''Why don't you fight me already?''

''I have been fighting you all this time,'' Yang answered calmly. ''You just don't realize it yet.''

Jaune wasn't threatened by the blonde girl's words at all. He simply assumed that she was trying to intimidate him through lying, and he decided to charge at his opponent again. However, after taking only a single step, the knight suddenly fell face first to the ground. He tried his best to get up, but his body was in pain and wouldn't move like he wanted it to. All he could do was turn on his back while letting out pained moans.

''Well, I wasn't expecting this, but I'll take it,'' Yang said in a slightly surprised voice and walked up to her opponent. ''I suppose this does make sense, though. I mean, what else would have happened?''

''W-What are you... talking... about?'' Jaune managed to ask in a pained voice.

''Think about it. Cinder just gave you a sudden boost in power, something that went over your actual current limits,'' the brawler answered. ''Your body isn't fully used to it yet, so all your wild attacks put a lot of strain on your body. You've been going at it for a while, too, so it's only natural for you to get drained like this.''

''I... I guess it's your win then,'' JNPR's leader said. ''You're probably going to take me to the authorities now and have me arrested, right?''

''No,'' Yang answered in a cold tone and pulled something out of her jacket. ''I'm going to make sure you'll never be a problem for me again.''

''W-Wait! You're going to kill me!?'' Jaune asked fearfully. ''You can't do-''

The rest of the blonde boy's words were cut off by Yang stabbing him in the throat with something. After the girl had pulled away her hand, Jaune saw that it was an arrow. While it did confuse him a bit that Yang was using such a weapon, he was more concerned with his life that was quickly slipping away.

''I... just... wanted to be... strong... so I... wouldn't be... a... bother... to everyone...'' Jaune managed to say while coughing up blood with tears falling from his eyes, before finally dying.

''You idiot... You could have achieved that in a different way,'' Yang whispered before pulling out a handkerchief and wiping her fingerprints from the arrow and leaving.

Her first target was down, but she still had so many to go. Luckily, she had an idea on how to even the playing field a bit.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Hope you liked Yang's first kill. I mean, if we don't count the stuff that happened in the first chapter. I'd say that this would be her first kill in the sense that this is first time she has killed one of her targets.  
**

 **As some of you may have figured out by now, this story will feature a lot of deaths. However, I don't plan on killing everyone, like in Dragon Unleashed. I haven't yet decided which characters get to live, but I'm thinking about them.**

 **Now, I'm going to step away from this story for a bit. I will come back to it later, but I feel that I need to work on some of my other stories for a while, like War for Ruby. I do plan on coming back to this one, though.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	5. Comfort Time

**Securing A Future**

 **Chapter 5: Comfort Time**

It had been about a week since Jaune had been killed and Yang was doing her best to not rise up any suspicion. The news of the blonde boy's death had obviously been quite shocking to everyone at Beacon, especially those of JNPR and RWBY. The members of those teams had been horrified to find out about the death of their friend and each of them were mourning. Blake was unable to concentrate on her books, Nora would sometimes cry uncontrollably and Ren had become even more silent than before. Even Weiss had been taken over by grief over Jaune's death, as she felt guilt over the fact that her latest harsh rejection at the knight's flirting would be the last thing she had ever said to him. However, the one who was taking this all the worst had to be Pyrrha, as it seemed like the loss of her partner had practically sucked the life out of her. The amazon was completely broken and wouldn't speak to anyone, and would often only lay on her bed while staring at the ceiling with wide eyes.

Despite the way everyone was reacting to Jaune's death, Yang wasn't concerned about them at all. Most of the people around her were enemies in her eyes, filthy traitors who killed her beloved Ruby. The brawler wasn't worried over what happened to any of them, no matter how heartbroken they may have been.

However, this didn't mean that Yang wasn't worried over anything. In fact, there were three things that she was worried about. Her first worry was that the authorities would find out that she was behind Jaune's murder. Even if she was willing to challenge a lot of powerful people, the blonde wasn't ready to possibly make the whole world her enemy. Not to mention, people like Ozpin and those who backed him had a lot of power in their hands. It would be very unwise to make them her enemies at this moment.

Yang's second worry was over Cinder and her allies. While no one really knew that she had killed Jaune, it would be foolish to think that the raven-haired woman didn't see the blonde knight's death as an act against her. Even if Jaune had his fair share of problems with bullies in the school, Cinder was too smart to think that they were behind her latest servant's murder. After all, Jaune had just received her gift, making him a lot stronger than most other students, so he should have been able to handle himself. Not to mention, his death happened right after joining the villainess' cause. It was obvious to her that whoever did this had something against her. This caused Yang to worry that her enemy would be much more cautious now, which could lead to problems in the future.

But the third thing that the brawler was worried about was Ruby. Even if she didn't care about how others reacted to Jaune's death, her heart was broken over how her beloved redhead was taking it. Jaune had been the first person Ruby had befriended as she came to Beacon, making him one of her closest friends. The two of them had even been finding support from each other, as they both were team leaders who were weighed heavily by their responsibilities. No matter how much Yang tried to reason to herself how Jaune's death was necessary, she couldn't help but feel guilty over taking the life of Ruby's dear friend.

Yang was making her way from the gym, after finishing her latest training routine. The students that were closest to Jaune had all gone to mourn in their own ways. Blake had found herself a secluded spot in the library, Weiss had gone to the nearby woods for some time alone, Ren had taken Nora with him in an attempt at cheering up his old friend and Pyrrha was locked up in her team's dorm. Ruby was also in her team's dorm, laying on her bed while crying silently. For the last few nights, the young team leader had cried herself to sleep over the loss of her friend. It broke Yang's heart to see the person she loved so broken, so she had decided to try and comfort the younger girl. She had been giving Ruby some space out of guilt, but felt like she needed to actually do something now.

The blonde girl opened the door to her team's dorm and saw Ruby curled up on her bed. She climbed up to the makeshift top bunk as carefully as she could, before laying down next to the younger girl. Yang then pulled Ruby in a gentle hug, trying to comfort the redhead.

''Rubes? Is everything okay?'' the brawler asked, despite knowing the reason for the younger girl's grief. ''Please talk to me, Rubes. I hate to see you like this.''

''I... I can't stop thinking about Jaune,'' Ruby answered in a sad voice, breaking the older girl's heart. ''He was one of my first real friends, you know? Before I came to Beacon, I never really had any real friends. He was one of the first people I really got along with. And after we both became team leaders, we had a mutual understanding between us over our responsibilities and the weight that was on our shoulders. Now he's gone and I... I don't think things will ever be the same without him.''

''Things won't be the same, but that's inevitable,'' Yang said. ''No matter how much we wish things would stay the same, they won't. It's all a part of life. This change was sudden and way more painful than anything else, but we can't do anything about it. We just have to accept it and move on. I'm sure Jaune would want us to do that as well.''

''I know that, but that's not the only thing bothering me!'' the team leader suddenly yelled and sat up. She looked down at Yang with sad eyes while tears fell from them. ''I know that we can't change anything that happened! I know we have to move on from this! I know that we are Huntsmen and Huntresses, and that death is part of our lives! But I can't help but fear that this is only the beginning!''

''What are you talking about, Ruby?'' the older girl asked with a shocked expression on her face. ''What do you mean by that?''

''Think about it, Yang. What happened to Jaune couldn't have been done just by anybody out there,'' Ruby answered while trying to hold back her tears. ''I know he was bullied and wasn't all that liked, but even those people wouldn't go so far as to murder him! And he was also a Huntsman! He might not have been the strongest, but he was still able to hold his own in a fight, and he was certainly stronger than your normal citizen! Whoever did this was not only strong enough to take him on, but will certainly kill again! What could anybody gain from Jaune's death, other than get him out of the way in order to kill more people!?''

Before the redhead could continue, Yang pulled her into a tight and gentle hug. At first, Ruby tried to struggle, but stopped once the blonde activated her Aura, which warmed up both of them. Yang even started to rock the girl in her arms back and forth, so that she would calm down and hopefully stop crying.

After some time had passed, Ruby had calmed down enough, so that Yang could let her go. She still held the younger girl's shoulders, as she stared into her eyes.

''Ruby, I know this will be tough for you and that you're hurting. But I want you to remember that no matter what will happen, I will always be there for you. And that I won't let anything happen to you. Okay?'' the time traveler said in a comforting tone, while wiping away the tears from the team leader's eyes.

''B-But what if s-something happens to y-you? What will I do t-then?'' Ruby managed to ask.

''No need to worry about me, Rubes. You know how tough I am, right?'' Yang said with a smirk, which caused the younger girl to giggle a bit. ''I promise that nothing bad will happen to either me or you. You can be sure of that.''

Now it was Ruby's turn to hug the older girl, who returned the gesture. The redhead even cried a little, prompting Yang to start whispering soothing words to the girl in her arms. It didn't take long until both girls were once again laying on the bed, with Ruby sleeping peacefully.

However, Yang wasn't sleeping. She still had something important to do. After that, the blonde could get back to admiring Ruby's sleeping face while snuggling up to her.

As carefully as possible, without waking up the young team leader, Yang got out of the bed and made her way out of the dorm. Luckily for her, she didn't need to go far for what she was about to do.

* * *

Inside team JNPR's dorm, Pyrrha was curled up on her bed after having cried for at least two hours straight. The amazon's days were being spent like this lately. She would simply sit through classes without paying any attention to what was going around her, before returning to her team's dorm to cry in anguish and lay on her bed.

The loss of her beloved partner and team leader had destroyed the once proud champion. As many people knew, Pyrrha had strong feelings for Jaune, but was unable to confess to her crush. The blonde boy had been the first person who didn't treat her in a special manner, the first person to not get intimidated by her reputation and the first person who didn't befriend her for ulterior motives. Because of this, the amazon had quickly fallen in love with the goofy boy. Now that he was gone, Pyrrha felt like she had lost the only person she could fully trust in her entire life. This loss broke not only her heart, but also her mind.

Suddenly, the heartbroken girl was brought out of her sad thoughts by something sliding underneath her dorm's door. She looked up and saw that it was an envelope. Pyrrha picked it up and examined it. The envelope didn't have anything written on it, no sender or any name telling who it was for. Seeing as there was no reason to leave it unopened, the redhead opened the envelope to see what was inside.

What Pyrrha saw made her eyes go wide and her blood run cold. It was a picture of Jaune, talking to some raven-haired girl that she was certain she had seen before.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Hey, guys! I know it's been a while since I last updated this story, as I've been somewhat preoccupied with other stuff. One of those things being my newest story, ''Dead By Roselight,'' which I recently started. Give it a try and tell me what you think, if you can.**

 **However, despite me being away from this story, I still intend to see it through. I would really hate to leave this unfinished.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	6. Preparations

**Securing A Future**

 **Chapter 6: Preparations**

It had been about two days since Yang had gone to comfort Ruby over Jaune's death. While the redhead was feeling better after the blonde had come to her aid, she was still very saddened over her friend's death. However, now she had at least gotten some life into her. Ruby had become more active in her training as a Huntress and hobbies, which was a big relief to Yang. Although it was still clear that her recent loss was still weighing heavily on the young team leader, her current situation was at least some form of progress. The time traveler was glad to see that her beloved rose was doing at least somewhat better.

While Yang had been worrying over Ruby, she had also been keeping an eye on Pyrrha as well. She wanted to know, if the picture she had given to the amazon had the desired effect on her. Much to the blonde's relief, she had seen Pyrrha staring at Cinder whenever the secret villainess was around. And when the redhead was looking at Cinder, her eyes were downright murderous. If looks could kill, Yang would no longer have to worry about the raven-haired woman at all.

Even if the brawler wasn't under and suspicion by her enemies and knew about the events that were coming, she wasn't foolish enough to believe that she could defeat all of her enemies completely on her own. Like any other person facing overwhelming odds, Yang needed help. Unfortunately, there wasn't exactly any way for her to really get assistance from anybody. Not only was it very unlikely that anyone would believe her, but people could try to use her knowledge of the future against her. For example, Ironwood could take Ruby hostage and demand the blonde to share information on things to come. Yang would rather die than risk that ever happening.

However, while she couldn't get any actual allies, the time traveler could still drive other people to fight her enemies for her. Since she knew the identities of her opponents and what they all wanted, Yang could manipulate them and have them fight among each other. That way she could at least get rid of some of her enemies.

Pyrrha was an excellent choice for this sort of manipulation. The amazon was head over heels in love with Jaune, which would lead her to a path of bloody revenge, once the blonde boy was killed. One only needed to give Pyrrha a small hint towards the person who took her beloved partner's life and she would hunt them down, even if that hint was an absolute lie. While Yang doubted that the redhead could actually kill Cinder, she could still harm the raven-haired woman or at least kill some of her servants. After all, Pyrrha hadn't won the Mistral Regional Tournament so many times for nothing.

The blonde still had a lot of work ahead of her. One doesn't simply take on Salem, Ozpin, the White Fang and a whole bunch of other threats on their own. She still needed her upgraded weapons and to increase her own strength, and that was just the start of things she needed.

Unfortunately, thanks to her murdering Jaune, the work on her new weapons was put on hold, since Ruby was too saddened to work on them. Yang was obviously not angry at the redhead at all. She completely understood why Ruby would need to have some time for herself, even if it did thrown a wrench in the blonde's plans.

Seeing as how she didn't really have anything else to do in order to advance her plans, Yang decided to head to the workshop and improve her current weapons. While they wouldn't be anywhere near as effective as the stuff Ruby had been working on, the time traveler knew that she could at least try to improve her situation herself. She needed better gear and if Ruby's stuff wasn't ready in time, she would at least have something.

Upon entering the workshop, Yang was very surprised to see none other than Ruby, working on the weapons she had asked the young team leader to make for her. While the blonde was happy to see her new weapons being worked on, she couldn't help but worry about the redhead working on them. Ruby was still mourning Jaune's death, so she should be taking time for herself.

''Rubes, what are you doing here?'' Yang asked the younger girl in a soft voice. ''I thought that you would be in the dorm. Why are you working on weapons?''

''Hi, Yang,'' Ruby said with her voice still holding traces of sadness. ''I just... needed to get my mind off things, you know? I felt that the best way to do that was by doing something I really enjoy. And there are very few things I enjoy more than working on weapons.''

''Ruby, I am happy to see you work on these, I really am,'' the brawler said as she sat next to the redhead and put her arm around her shoulders. ''However, you shouldn't be doing this. You're still shaken by what has happened, which is completely understandable. You should be taking it easy and try your best to sort out your feelings. Not work on weapons for someone else, like some machine.''

''Yang, I'm alright. I need this,'' the sniper said with resolve in her voice. ''What happened to Jaune was a wake-up call for me. Even if I have known about the dangers we face as Huntresses, I've never really understood what it fully was. I've been naively thinking that everything will be fine as long as we keep working the way we have been. But the truth is that anything can happen to us at any time. And if we lose our lives, we can only blame ourselves. I have decided to work harder from now on, so I can keep everyone safe. That includes you as well.''

Yang looked into Ruby's eyes and could see the determination in those beautiful silver orbs she loved so much. Upon seeing them, she knew immediately that she couldn't persuade the scythe-wielder from her decision. While the time traveler was happy to see her beloved rose full of life again, she couldn't help but feel a little fear as well. There was always the possibility that Ruby would find out that she was the one behind Jaune's murder, not to mention the many others she was planning to commit. If that were to happen, what would Yang do?

However, right now, the blonde didn't worry about the possible troubles in the future. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to be close with the one she loved more than anything in the world. Yang pulled Ruby into a strong and gentle hug, giving as much of her love to the younger girl as she could.

''You're honestly too good for me,'' the brawler whispered with a smile. ''How did I ever get so lucky as to have someone like you in my life?''

''I've got no idea,'' the redhead replied with a small giggle. ''But you should let me go back to work, if you want your luck to work out for you. Can't exactly build awesome weapons when I've got a pair of arms around me.''

''Come on, just a couple more seconds,'' Yang whined and tightened the hug a bit. ''Also, why aren't you hugging back? Don't I deserve to get some love in return?''

Ruby rolled her eyes, but went on to grant the older girl's wish and hugged her. The two girls stayed like that for some time before breaking it up, allowing the younger girl to get back to work. However, before she went back to work, Ruby remembered that she needed to tell Yang something.

''Oh, I almost forgot! I did some analysis on the blueprints for the gauntlets and found out something,'' the scythe-wielder said, catching the blonde's attention. ''I looked at how much firepower your gauntlets would have and found out that my original plan for the weapons may have been a bit too hastily made.''

''What do you mean?'' Yang asked.

''You see, normal people wouldn't be able to use your gauntlets, even if they got their hands on them, right? This is because they don't have Aura to protect their bodies from the recoil that comes from using them. If a normal person were to try and use them, they could possible lose their arms from the recoil's force tearing them off,'' Ruby explained. ''Since you have Aura, you can take that force without any trouble. However, these new gauntlets are turning out to be much more powerful than what you currently have. While I'm fairly sure that you wouldn't risk losing your arms from using them, your arms could still break from the recoil.''

''I see,'' the brawler said thoughtfully. ''And what are my options for avoiding such a thing?''

''Well... You could always train your body to be a lot tougher, but I'm not sure it's entirely possible to achieve such results,'' Ruby answered. ''Personally I think it's best if we just downgrade the weapons. You'll still get a much needed boost in power, but not as much as originally. I'm currently working on new blueprints for-''

''You know what, Ruby?'' Yang suddenly said, cutting off the sniper. ''No need for any new blueprints. Just keep working on what you were originally planning. I'm sure I can handle them.''

Ruby stared at the older girl with wide eyes for a couple of seconds. She couldn't believe what she had just been told. It was like Yang hadn't listened to her at all.

''B-B-But that's crazy!'' the redhead argued. ''I doubt there's any possible way for you to get strong enough to-!''

''Rubes, please,'' Yang said with a smile and wrapped an arm around the younger girl's shoulders. ''Don't you trust me? You should know that if there's anyone that can handle a little recoil, it's me. So don't worry about it. Just leave it to me and I'll show you just how tough I can get.''

''Okay, if you're sure about that,'' Ruby said, still uncertain about the blonde's decision. ''It will still take some time until it's finished. I can keep you updated on the progress, if you want.''

''No need for hurry or worry, just take your time and make the same great work you always do,'' Yang said happily. ''I've got some work of my own to do anyway, so I won't be getting bored while I wait for you.''

* * *

Yang had not been lying when she said that she had work to do. While it was good to know that the work on her new weapons was going smoothly, there was still a lot that she needed to work on. One of those things was her need for Dust. While it wasn't difficult to get your hands on Dust, it was still very expensive, especially the high-quality kind. The less refined and lower quality it was, the bigger was the danger in using it. In order for the time traveler's plans to succeed, she needed a lot of Dust and it needed to be of good quality as well.

One of the reasons Yang needed a large amount of Dust was for fighting. A lot of Huntsmen and Huntresses, herself included, used special Dust rounds in their weapons in order to deal more damage to their enemies, and certain types of Dust could be used to help deal with different types of situations. For example, one could freeze enemies with Ice Dust in order to capture them alive or use Lightning Dust to short-circuit machines. However, since Dust was expensive, a lot of Huntsmen only used it as a trump card, not wanting to waste too much money.

While the blonde had a good amount of money that she had taken from Junior, it wasn't enough to buy her the amount of Dust she needed. Not only that, but she didn't want to use all of her funds right away. Money was something that everybody needed and Yang was no different. The only difference was that she would need a lot more of it than your average person. Luckily, the time traveler had a plan on how to get that.

But right now, Yang needed to focus on getting the Dust. If she were able to get her hands on the amount she needed it, her plan would take a great step towards success. Good thing she had a perfect idea on how to get it and for free as well.

Having knowledge of the future was far more useful than on might ever guess.

* * *

In the middle of the night, a group of White Fang grunts were at a large warehouse, carrying crates out and loading them into trucks. The warehouse belonged to the SDC and held large amounts of Dust that was supposed to be transported to the stores under the company to be sold at a high price. Unfortunately, Roman Torchwick had chose this place as his next target for a Dust robbery.

There had been quite a few guards that were equipped with very good gear for their job. It was one of the perks that came with working for the biggest Dust company in the world. However, Roman was a master thief and had a small army of skilled White Fang terrorists on his side. The thief had stolen from places like this before and with even less resources than he had right now. Taking all this Dust was like taking a candy from a child.

After the guards had been taken out silently, the rest of the goons had driven trucks to the warehouse, ready to be loaded. The plan was as simple as it could be. After the guards had been dealt with and the trucks had been brought in, they would load them up with the Dust one by one. Once a single truck had been filled, it would leave towards their hideout. This was for the purpose of avoiding suspicion, as a large group of trucks might draw some unwanted attention.

At the moment, Torchwick was humming to himself in satisfaction with his silent partner, Neo, standing next to him. The orange-haired man couldn't help but admire his skills when it came to the art of stealing. He was certain there was nothing he couldn't take, no matter who or what was guarding it. It was almost so easy for him that it was boring.

Something suddenly caught Roman's attention. One of the White Fang goons seemed to be running to one of the trucks in a hurry. The thief scowled a bit as he saw the goon open the door to the truck's diver's seat and climb in. The reason he was angered was because he had specifically ordered the drivers to stay in their vehicles at the ready, no matter what. Roman wanted the trucks to be able to leave as soon as possible, whether it was because they had been fully loaded or something came up and they had to abandon their work. If there was one thing he hated, it was underlings who couldn't follow simple orders like they should. The orange-haired man decided to make his way to the driver and remind them of their job.

''Hey! You! What were you doing, you fool!?'' Roman yelled at the driver, who quickly rolled down the window to their door. ''Wasn't I clear enough when I told you that you had to remain in your seat at the ready!? What part of that did you miss!?''

''I'm sorry, sir!'' the White Fang goon apologized, revealing herself to be a girl. ''I really needed to go to the bathroom! I couldn't hold it in anymore!''

''Of all the people for me to get, I just had to get the one who has trouble with bladder control!'' the thief cursed in anger. ''Never mind! Just remain in your seat, until you have reached your destination, understood!? Can you at least accomplish that!?''

''Yes, sir! My apologies, sir!'' the girl kept apologizing.

Roman looked at the back of the truck and saw that the rest of his group had finished loading it.

''Alright, it's time for you to go,'' the orange-haired man commanded the driver. ''And make sure there are no more unnecessary interruptions, got it!? If I find out that you compromised your job even once, I'll have my partner cut off whatever animal part you have in yourself!''

''Understood, sir! My apologies, sir!''

Roman watched as the truck started it's engine and began to drive away. Once it had disappeared from his view, he started to walk back to where he had standing previously, looking over his operation. However, something came to his mind and he stopped to look at Neo.

''Neo, my darling, did we have a blonde girl in our group? I can't remember,'' the thief asked his assistant, only to receive a shrug for an answer.

* * *

Back with the truck that had just left, the driver took off her mask and hood, revealing the face of none other than Yang Xiao Long. The blonde girl was grinning widely, thinking about the amount of Dust she had just taken from none other than Roman Torchwick, the supposed ''master thief'' himself. Back in her past, the orange-haired man had caused her quite a lot of trouble, so it felt good to know that she had just managed to fool him big time.

''If only I could see his face, once he realizes what really happened,'' Yang said to herself with a snicker. She turned to look at the White Fang goon that was sitting on the passenger's seat and said, ''That has got to be quite the sight to behold, am I right?''

The faunus man sitting next to the time traveler didn't say anything, as he was already dead. You couldn't see it from outside the truck, but his stomach had been torn open with his internal organs spilling out. The time traveler had been very fast and effective, when she had taken care of the two White Fang members that were an obstacle to her.

Yang couldn't help but grin to herself. With this Dust, her plans would take another step towards being completed.

* * *

 **Author's notes: Hope you guys liked the chapter. It will take some time until Yang gets back into killing her enemies, as she needs to make a good amount of preparations first. I really hope you guys can wait for that, especially since updates to this story come a bit more irregularly.**

 **After all, remember the words of the great George Carlin, ''Progress is slow, smallpox is fast.''**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	7. Rituals

**Securing A Future**

 **Chapter 7: Rituals**

With her truck of Dust secured, Yang drove it to an abandoned warehouse that was at the edge of the city. She drove the truck inside and made sure there was no one prying on her business nearby. Seeing that there was not a single person around, the blonde closed the large metal door behind the vehicle and opened the door to the truck's cargo, revealing the numerous crates of Dust inside.

"Oh boy, oh boy, that's a lot of quality stuff I've got here," Yang said with a grin. "I do wonder how much money I could get from selling all this? I'm sure there must be countless of criminals and terrorists who would pay me many times the normal market price for this load. Too bad I need to use it all up right away."

The time traveler started to quickly unload the crates out of the truck and carried them to a large open area in the building. Once she had carried all the crates out, she opened them and threw the Dust in the middle of the area into a giant pile. After emptying all of her crates, Yang was standing in front of a quite impressive amount of Dust in front of her. Since all types of the magical substance had been thrown in the pile, the small mountain had all sorts of colors in it, making it look like a rainbow-colored pile of sand.

"What a pretty sight. It's almost a shame I need to use up all of this," Yang said as she took off her jacket and knelt in front of the Dust. Then by focusing her Aura on her fingers, she pierced the skin on her stomach, causing blood to start flowing. The blonde spilled some of her blood on the Dust and then began her ritual.

Back in her own timeline, Yang had studied all forms of magic. These ranged from the normal ways people used Dust as a means of using magic, to some more powerful spells. Her studies had eventually led her to researching forbidden dark arts of magic, which had been forgotten by most people in the world. These spells and rituals often gave their user incredible power, but required some sort of sacrifices or could even endanger the life of the user.

However, Yang wasn't going to die here. She had a lot of work ahead of her and a life to spend with her beloved Ruby. The ritual she was currently performing was something that required two things. One of them was a large amount of Dust and the second one was her own blood. This ritual would use the users blood to connect the Dust to their body, which would then absorb the magical substance. The purpose of this ritual was to increase the user's level of Aura in their body and even possibly give them magical powers, similar to that of the Four Maidens. Unfortunately, the ritual carried a huge risk. If even a slight mistake was made, the users body would explode upon absorbing the Dust. Still, in Yang's mind, it was worth the risk.

The time traveler started to mutter out strange words that belonged to a language that was no longer used by anyone. It was the people who used this ancient language that created this ritual in the first place, only for all knowledge of their very existence to almost completely disappear. It was kind of ironic in Yang's opinion that the skills of some ancient civilization would help someone after they had been long gone.

As soon as the blonde started her magical chanting, the Dust started to slowly move from the pile and enter her body through the wounds she had made herself. In time, this process started to speed up and eventually there was a large, steady stream of Dust going into Yang's body. The brawler's face twisted from pain, as she felt the magical substance first enter her wounds and then circulate around her whole body. The whole process was agonizing and felt like her body was on fire from the inside. Still, despite the horrible pain she was in, Yang had to proceed with it. Stopping abruptly would only lead to certain death, so turning back now wasn't an option. She would have to go all the way or all her efforts would be for nothing.

After what felt like hours, the ritual had been completed and the Dust had disappeared. Yang herself was laying on the floor, sweating and panting heavily. The whole thing had taken a lot out of her, as it was not only painful but also exhausting. For some time now, the brawler would be completely defenseless, as her body was forced to essentially shut down and get used to the changes that had just been made.

Right now, Yang really hoped that no one else knew of this place. She was as helpless as a newborn baby at the moment, so if one of her enemies were to find her, she would be dead.

Soon the blonde's eyes began to close, the exhaustion having taken it's toll on her body so badly that she would have to shut down. Before she slipped completely into unconsciousness, Yang's final thoughts went back to Ruby and her promise to the redhead.

"Nothing bad will happen to us, Rubes," the time traveler whispered. "I swear."

With that, Yang's eyes closed, letting her fall completely unconscious.

* * *

When morning came, Yang woke up to the rays of sunshine that came down on her through the windows of the warehouse. The blonde tried her best to get up, but her whole body felt like it was on fire. The pain from her last night ritual had not gone away completely just yet. She barely managed to turn her body so that she was laying on her back, let alone get up completely.

"The things you do for love..." Yang mumbled to herself with a small chuckle. "Although, I am more than willing to go through this all for the sake of Ruby. I just wish the pay-off was at least a bit better."

In truth, this was only the first of many of these rituals the time traveler needed to perform. The reason was that although her Aura had been increased, it wasn't by all that much. If it were to be put into a percentage, then Yang's Aura would have increased by about five or six percent. It was not only a dangerous project, but also one that took a lot of time. Back in her own timeline, Yang had managed to increase her Aura without a problem, as there wasn't anyone stopping her. However, now she didn't have that luxury, as she needed to keep a more low profile. If she was found out, it would be the end for her.

"I haven't yet gotten my full strength back, but I think I can at least somewhat move around," the brawler said to herself, before doing her best to get into a sitting position. Every muscle in her body practically screamed in agony over this, but she somehow managed to work through the pain. "Goddammit that hurt... And the worst part is that this won't be the last time for this crap! Future does not look good for me..."

The sudden ringing of her Scroll brought Yang out of her thoughts. She took the device out of her pocket and saw that Ruby was calling her, obviously worried over her not returning to the dorm last night.

"Hi, Rubes," the blonde answered the call with a smile. "You need something?"

 _"Yeah, I need to know where you are!"_ replied the redhead's worried voice on the other end of the call. _"You didn't return at all last night! I was so worried over your safety with everything that has happened lately, but Weiss and Blake convinced me that you would be fine! I went to bed thinking that I would see you in the morning, but you're nowhere to be found! Just where are you!?"_

"No need to worry about me, Ruby. I just... kind of lost track of time last night," Yang lied. "I was meeting up with an old friend of mine in the city and we ended up spending more time than we were supposed to. Hope you're not mad."

 _"Right now, I'm just relieved that you're alright,"_ Ruby said. _"Where are you now? The classes are about to start."_

"Sorry, but I'm not feeling too well. Can you tell that to the teachers?" the brawler requested. "I'll get you some cookies in return, if you want."

 _"No need for any cookies. Just... get back here safely, okay? I would never be able to get over it, if something were to happen to you."_

"Hey, no need to worry about me, okay? I'm a tough girl, remember?" Yang said in a comforting tone. "I'll be back later. I promise."

 _"Alright. See you then."_

"Yeah, see you then. I love ya, Rubes."

After ending the call, Yang let out a couple of happy tears. Even if she had been living in the past for some time now, she couldn't help but be overjoyed by having Ruby alive and well again. Hearing the redhead sound so concerned over her well-being really warmed the blonde's heart. She could probably just listen to the young team leader's voice for hours.

However, right now the time traveler needed to concentrate on getting her strength back and returning to Beacon. It took about two more hours of rest before she had recovered properly, but Yang didn't want to take any risks. Once her body had recovered enough from the ritual she left the warehouse and got to her motorcycle that she had hid nearby earlier. The brawler was soon heading back towards the school, hoping to see a certain redhead there.

* * *

As soon as she arrived at Beacon, Yang headed straight to her team's dorm and walked into the room. She had hoped to see Ruby, but didn't see any of her teammates there. With nothing better to do, the blonde climbed up to her bed and laid down to listen to some music on her Scroll, while waiting for Ruby to come back from classes.

It didn't take long until the dorm's door opened with Weiss and Blake walking in. The two girls immediately noticed their missing teammate on her bed and decided to find out where she had been all day.

"Yang, where have you been!?" Weiss asked angrily. "You were nowhere to be seen when we woke up and you didn't leave any sort of a note or anything! Just what kind of an excuse do you have for this type of behavior!?"

"I couldn't get any sleep, so I decided to head out to the city and met up with a friend. We started to spend some time together and lost track of time in the end. Is that good enough for you?" Yang said indifferently, not really caring about what the heiress had to say. As far as the blonde was concerned, the white-haired girl could die in a ditch somewhere. "Besides, I already told everything you needed to know to Ruby. Didn't you ask her about where I had gone to?"

"We wanted to hear it from you ourselves," Blake answered with a small frown, not all that happy with how her partner was acting. "We are a team, Yang. We are supposed to look after each other, no matter what. If you were having trouble sleeping, you should have asked one of us for help and not leave in the middle of the night. You had all of us worried, especially with the things that have happened lately."

"Oh, please. As if I need you two to-" the brawler began to say, but noticed a certain redhead missing from the group. Her eyes immediately turned red and she grabbed Weiss by the front of her shirt and pulled her closer. "Where's Ruby!? Why isn't she with you two!?"

"UNHAND ME, YOU BRUTE!" the white-haired girl screamed. "Who do you think you are to touch me like-!"

The rest of Weiss' words were cut off by Yang lifting her up and slamming her back against the wall. The blonde's hair was starting to glow, showing just how angry she had gotten.

"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT WHO YOU ARE, PRINCESS!" Yang roared at the girl she was holding up, scaring her completely. "ALL I CARE ABOUT IS WHERE RUBY IS, SO YOU BETTER TELL ME RIGHT NOW OR-!"

"YANG, STOP!" Blake yelled and grabbed her partner's arm. "Let go of Weiss! She hasn't-!"

The time traveler responded to the cat faunus' actions by grabbing her in a similar way she did with Weiss and slammed her to the wall as well. Yang was right now in rage mode, and unless someone brought Ruby to her, things were going to get ugly.

"I won't ask again," the blonde growled. "Where. Is. RUBY!?"

"S-She went to the workshop," Weiss managed to say. "She said that she had something that needed to be worked on. That's all I know! I swear!"

Having found out where the redhead was, Yang dropped the two girls to the floor and ran to the workshop. She was in such a hurry that she didn't care who got in her way, and just pushed anyone whom did out of her path.

After reaching the workshop, the time traveler found Ruby sitting at a table and continuing her work on the blonde's new weapons. Seeing that her beloved rose was safe, Yang let out a sigh of relief and walked up to her.

"Hey, Rubes," the brawler called out to Ruby, getting her attention. "Why did you come here instead of the dorm? I was hoping to see you there, and I got worried when Weiss and Blake came back without you."

"You mean the same way I got worried upon not seeing you in the dorm this morning?" the redhead pointed out with a raised eyebrow, causing a pang of guilt to shoot through Yang's heart. "I felt like I needed to do this, especially with what happened earlier today?"

"What do you mean by that?" Yang asked.

"When you were nowhere to be found, I got worried over what might have happened to you. I couldn't help but think about what had happened to Jaune. And that..." Ruby began to explain, but couldn't bring herself to finish the thought. The time traveler quickly walked up to the young team leader and pulled her into a comforting hug. "I just... I know you're tough, way tougher than me, but I can't help but worry about what might happen to you. The fact that you left without saying a word really hurt me. It's like you couldn't trust any of us, not even me. If you can't do that, then I at least want you to have some better equipment the next time you head out. That way you'll at least be safer."

"Rubes, I'm sorry for hurting you like that," Yang said in a comforting tone and kissed the top of the redhead's head. "I didn't mean to worry you. I just didn't want to wake you up because of my own problems, okay? From now on, I'll tell you before I head out. I promise."

The two girls stayed like that for a moment, simply enjoying each other's warmth and company. After some time had passed, the two girls finally broke up their hug, allowing Yang to inspect what the younger girl had been working on.

"So, is this going to be part of one of my new gauntlets?" the blonde asked while looking over the weapon Ruby had been tinkering with. "What is it?"

"This will be one of the shotgun parts on the gauntlets," the redhead answered. "I specifically chose parts that would not only increase the firepower, but also the accuracy. With these, you won't need to run up to your opponents in order to hit them."

"That's good to hear, but I still have one question," Yang said as she picked up the part to admire it a bit closer. "Where do you keep this stuff when you're not here?"

"There's a cabinet with with the number 164 on it," Ruby answered. When the students were working on their equipment in the workshop, they could leave them in cabinets that were there, so they wouldn't have to carry whatever they were working on between their dorm and their workspace constantly. However, they had to request the key to the cabinet first from Port, who was responsible for the workshop. "It has plenty of space and it's very well-made, so I should be able to- Hey, what are you doing!?"

The reason for the young team leader's sudden surprise was that the time traveler had suddenly taken all of the materials she had been working with. Yang then walked up to the cabinet Ruby was using and placed the materials there, before closing it and locking it's door.

"Yang, I was getting close to- Hey!" the scythe-wielder cried out upon being suddenly lifted over the blonde's shoulder, who then proceeded to carry her.

"I think you've worked long enough for today, Rubes," Yang said with a smile. "It's time you took a break from your work."

"Sheesh, Yang, you're so unreasonable!" Ruby said with a huff. "I was only thinking of your best."

"I know, but I'm thinking of your best now," the brawler said with a chuckle. "I might really want better equipment, but I'm not willing to sacrifice your wellbeing for it."

"Fine, if that's how you feel..." the redhead muttered. She then took a hold of some of Yang's hair and played with it a bit. "You know, I was seriously surprised by how you suddenly decided to ask me to make you some better weapons. I never would have thought that you would ever ask me something like that. Are you perhaps going to ask me to cut your hair next?"

Although Ruby was joking and Yang knew it, the blonde suddenly stopped. The young team leader began to fear that she might have angered the older girl, knowing how protective she was of her hair.

"Actually, Rubes, I think you have an idea there."

* * *

A bit later, Ruby and Yang had returned to their dorm. Luckily for the blonde, their other two teammates had apparently decided to spend time outside the dorm, as the two girls didn't see them there. Yang was very glad about this, as she didn't feel like dealing with whatever complaints Weiss and Blake might have had from the last time she had seen them. Not to mention, right now, the time traveler wanted some precious time alone with Ruby.

At the moment, both Ruby and Yang were in their dorm's bathroom, with the older girl sitting on a stool and the younger girl standing behind her. The redhead had scissors in one hand and was looking rather nervous, as she was about to do something she never thought she would ever do.

"A-Are you sure about this, Yang?" Ruby asked, uncertain if what was happening was actually real. "I mean, we don't need to do this, if you actually don't want to."

"I'm sure about this, Rubes," Yang said without even the slightest hesitation. "I want you to cut my hair. Make it about shoulder length."

With trembling hands, the scythe-wielder brought the scissors closer to the brawler's hair and readied herself to cut some of the locks, but stopped suddenly. Yang had always been so protective of her hair that it didn't make sense for her to suddenly wanting to shorten it. Ruby needed to confirm this at least one more time.

"Yang, if this is because of what I said, it was supposed to be-"

"A joke. I know, Rubes, but I really do want to do this," the blonde said and turned her head to look at the young team leader. "Long hair is only going to get in the way during a fight. If I am going to fight properly, I need to get it shorter. There's no other reason for this."

"B-But shouldn't you wait for either Weiss or Blake to get here?" Ruby asked. "I'm not exactly the best person when it comes to girly stuff like this. I'm sure those two would be better suited for this."

"I doubt they really have any skills for this," Yang replied with a smile. "Besides, I want you specifically to do this. You're the only one I can trust with this."

Seeing the blonde's smile and hearing her words of encouragement caused confidence to wash over the scythe-wielder. With newfound determination, Ruby began to cut Yang's hair, making it shorter with each cut.

"I'll make sure you'll still look good, Yang!" the redhead said confidently. "You won't regret this!"

"I know I won't, Ruby," Yang said with a smile. _'After all, I am doing this all for your sake and nothing else. If it's to keep you safe, I would gladly give even my arm for it.'_

* * *

Later that night, there was a fight going on in the empty alleys of Vale. A certain silver-haired boy was locked in a battle to the death with a rather strong opponent. In fact, Mercury's opponent was so strong that he was actually the one that was struggling.

If one knew who the assassin served in reality, they would assume that he was on some mission to kill a target given to him by Cinder Fall. However, this was not the case at all. Mercury had actually just gone to the city to have a good time, only to be ambushed by someone who really wanted him dead.

And much to the silver-haired boy's misfortune, it seemed like they would accomplish that goal.

A strong kick was delivered to Mercury's chest, sending him crashing to some trash cans behind him. The assassin coughed up blood as he struggled to get up. He gave a furious glare at his opponent, enraged by the fact that he was being humiliated like this. However, his death stare didn't affect his opponent at all, who simply stared down at him with a cold look.

Pyrrha Nikos wasn't intimidated by her opponent at all.

"You... What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Mercury asked angrily as he managed to stand up. "Why are you attacking me!? I haven't done anything to-!"

"Yes you did," Pyrrha said. "I know it was you and your friends who killed my partner and leader, Jaune Arc. What have you got to say for yourself?"

"Wait... Are you talking about that loser from your team!?" the silver-haired boy asked, now completely confused. "Where the hell did you get the idea that WE killed him!? We never-!"

"You did. I saw a picture of Jaune talking with you three," the amazon said with her anger slowly making it's way to her voice. "I can't think of any reason for Jaune to have anything to do with your group, so you must have tricked him somehow. For some reason, you tricked him and killed him. And I want to know why."

"You're crazy. Even if I did think he was better off dead, none of us even touched him," Mercury said. "But I doubt a freaking lunatic like you will believe that. Now, I'm personally way too pissed off from being beaten by you, so I'm just going to do what I do best and kill you myself! Then you can join that damn wimp of a team leader of yours!"

The assassin tried to kick Pyrrha to the side of her head, only for the redhead to block it with her shield. Mercury tried to back away, but couldn't suddenly move his legs at all. There was even a strange black aura surrounding them.

"You know, when I was fighting you, I noticed something interesting," Pyrrha said as a sadistic smile appeared on her face. "I couldn't help but notice that your legs seem to be made of metal. You can try to cover them up and pretend all you like, the sensation of metal hitting metal is something I am very familiar with. Now, do you know what I'm going to do next?"

Mercury's eyes went wide with horror, as he realized what his opponent was talking about. Before he could do anything to stop Pyrrha, the amazon used her Semblance to lift him up in the air by his legs and then tore the artificial limbs from his body. The silver-haired boy screamed in pain, as his cybernetic legs were forcefully removed, tearing his flesh from the point they had been attached to his body.

With his legs torn off, Mercury was dropped to the ground. Even without his cybernetics, the assassin struggled to escape. However, getting away was an impossibility at this point, as Pyrrha put her foot on his back, before using her sword to decapitate her enemy.

"That was the first one, Jaune," the redhead said with an insane smile on her face, as a couple of tears fell from her eyes. "Just you wait. I'll soon avenge your death."

* * *

 **Author's notes: Hope you liked the new chapter. Here I wanted to give a bit of an idea on how Yang is going to get strong enough to fight against essentially everyone in Remnant. While this might seem like a cheap way for her to get more powerful, I thought it was necessary, as she realistically couldn't get strong enough to take on most of her opponents fast enough before they start to go along with their plans. Not to mention, the ritual Yang performed wasn't something that will immediately make her the strongest person in the world. It's more of a long process that she can't really devote all her time to, due to her having to keep a low profile.**

 **I also wanted there to be a bit of an emotional moment between Yang and Ruby, where Yang would get her hair cut. Since she has seen what she would lose in the future, she would do anything in order to make sure that wouldn't happen. Besides, considering how old she really is, Yang must have grown out of her obsession over her hair by now.**

 **I hope you guys liked seeing crazed Pyrrha. I felt like we had been focusing too much on Yang's preparations, so I thought it would be nice to see some action as well.**

 **I'll begin working on the next chapter as soon as possible. However, I will be working on multiple projects at the same time, so the next update will take some time.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	8. Tough Times

**Securing A Future**

 **Chapter 8: Tough Times**

Deep in one of the forests of Vale, a small group of people were gathering inside a cave. All of the group's members had dark cloaks covering their bodies, effectively hiding their identities. When the last member of the group arrived, they looked around the entrance before entering, making sure that no one had followed them.

With all of the members in the cave, a campfire was lit in the middle of the cave to provide the group with light and warmth. It was time for their meeting to finally start.

"I am glad to see that all of you made it here," one of the members said while taking off his hood, revealing that he was none other than Professor Ozpin himself. "I know that times have been very harsh on all of you, but we can't give up just now. We still have to-"

"Harsh!? That is the biggest understatement I have ever heard in my life!" another member shouted and removed their hood, revealing James Ironwood. "Most of the people we had on our side have either died or joined our enemies! All of us are struggling to simply get enough food for a day and to not freeze to death! And as if that's not enough, we face the threat of our enemies finding and executing us! I wouldn't call this harsh, I would call it hell!"

"James, be quiet!" another member yelled and took off her hood, revealing Glynda Goodwitch. Two other members revealed their identities as Port and Oobleck as well. "Ozpin is fully aware of how bad things are, so your complaining is not needed! The reason we have gathered here was for us to discuss a possible plan that could help us make things right and defeat our enemies! Not to give in to temper tantrums! How about you calm yourself, so we can discuss this like the Huntsmen and Huntresses we are supposed to be!?"

"Since you obviously haven't taken a good look at any of us, let me remind you that none of us are what we used to be!" James yelled angrily at the blonde woman. "Ever since we were defeated, we have been turned into nothing but filthy beggars that are being hunted like animals!"

True to the former general's words, the people gathered in the cave were no longer who they used to be. Each member of the group had clothes that were tattered and dirty, and they all looked like they hadn't eaten properly for at least a year. Just like Ironwood had said, they looked more like beggars instead of Huntsmen and Huntresses.

"And how did we come to this again? Oh, that's right! HE let his own students join our enemies, who were hiding in HIS SCHOOL, thus turning our world into a living hell!" the ex-general ranted while pointing at Ozpin. "He kept telling us to trust his students! That they would make the right choice in the end! And we all know how well THAT went, don't we!? And top it all off, he even gave the last silver-eyed warrior to that damn Schnee brat! How are we supposed to trust his judgement after such failures!?"

Glynda was about to protest what Ironwood had said, but a hand on her shoulder from Ozpin stopped her.

"I completely understand your frustrations, James. I will be the first to admit that I have no excuses for my failures. I believed that my students would end up choosing the right path, instead of joining those who would bring this world to ruin. I also believed that I could somehow forge some form of an alliance with Weiss Schnee by giving Ruby Rose to her or to at least find a way to reproduce the power of the silver eyes. I was desperate and foolish, which led to us losing our best trump card," the silver-haired man said. "However, dwelling on the past will do us no good. If we fight among ourselves, it will only benefit those we truly wish to defeat. That is why I hope that we can push aside our differences for now, so we can focus on what truly matters."

It seemed like Ironwood still wanted to yell at Ozpin, but he decided to stay quiet. As much as he hated working with the former headmaster of Beacon due to his many mistakes, the former general was fully aware that he had no other choice. He himself didn't have any ideas as to how he could bring down his enemies, so he was in need of help. For now, he would at least listen to what Ozpin had to offer.

"Ozpin, can you tell us what you're planning?" Port decided to ask, seeing as how things had calmed down. "Forgive me for sounding distrustful, but I have a hard time to believe that there is really anything we can do to win this hopeless "war" of us. The way I see it, we have already lost, as our opponents have way more resources and manpower on their side than we do. This plan of yours needs to be a really good one or we will certainly lose."

"Your doubt is understandable, but I must ask you not to give up. That is not how we are supposed to act as Huntsmen and Huntresses," the silver-haired man replied. "Besides, all hope is not lost as long as there are those who wish to fight. And I have learned that there are several rebellious groups within the lands of our enemies. What we need to do is get in contact with them and use them to strike down those who destroyed our world."

"But how are we supposed to get those people on our side?" Oobleck asked. "None of us really have anything to offer to anyone. No riches, no equipment or even our own fame. We literally have nothing to bargain with."

"That is not true, my good friend. Not only are our names still spoken of as threats to the ones who rule, but we still have our skills and knowledge. I have been observing and studying the movements and actions of our enemies for some time now, and I believe that I have an idea on how to truly strike back at them," Ozpin explained. "Not only that, but even if we can't simply offer our skills and knowledge to them, we can use something else. Something that is actually more valuable than money."

"More valuable than money?" Glynda asked. "But the only thing that fits that description is Dust, and most of it is being controlled by Weiss Schnee. How are we supposed to get our hands on that?"

"We don't need to. I already have a large quantity of it in my possession," the former headmaster answered, surprising his comrades. "Not too long ago, one of Weiss Schnee's Dust transportation trains was robbed. You can probably guess who was behind it, right? Once I had "handled" my hired assistants, I was left with a small mountain of Dust. Not only will we be able to use it in battle, but to hire all the help we need."

"Where is this Dust you speak of?" Ironwood asked, now somewhat interested in Ozpin's plan. "Also, do you really have enough to last us through defeating ALL of our enemies? I have a hard time believing that a single train had that much Dust in it."

"The Dust is currently hidden in a secret location that only I know. As for the second question, the amount I currently have is meant to help us take down our first target. Once we have done that, we can seize their resources and go after our next target," Ozpin explained. "Now, all I need to know is whether you're with me on this. I won't force anyone into helping me, if they don't want to."

Glynda, Ironwood, Port and Oobleck immediately agreed to help the silver-haired man with his plan. However, there was still one person in the cave, who hadn't said anything. In fact, they were still wearing their hood, hiding their face.

"What do you say, Peach?" Ozpin asked, noticing that their last member had been silent. "Are you with me or not?"

"I can't really speak for Peach, but I can give my own answer," the cloaked person replied, shocking the others in the cave, as that voice didn't belong to Peach. The person removed their hood, revealing Yang Xiao Long. "And my answer is no, considering what Ruby had to go through for following you."

"XIAO LONG!?" Glynda yelled in shock. "How did you find this place!? And where is Peach!?"

"I found you all thanks to Peach. It took some work, but I was able to make her talk in the end. As a reward, I gave her a nice twist on her neck to help her relax," the brawler answered as she glared at the whole group in front of her. "And just finding her alone took quite a bit if work. You guys are some slippery little cockroaches. It's no wonder that no one has been able to find any of you. I first had to ask about you all from dad, who told me about your group. After that, I got my hands on Winter and Ciel, who told me where Peach was. And then... Well, I'm sure you get the idea."

"Y-You're the reason I haven't heard anything from Winter or Ciel!?" Ironwood asked as his face was turning red from anger. "I WILL-!"

"James, wait! We need to be calm about this!" Ozpin quickly said, stopping his comrade from attacking the intruder. "Ms. Xiao Long, I understand that you are angry with me for a good reason. However, I want you to know that I gave Ms. Rose to Weiss Schnee for the sake of greater good. I had no idea that-"

The former headmaster was cut off by Yang using her gauntlet to fire a shot at him that shot off his left leg. Ozpin fell to the ground while screaming in pain and holding the place where his limb used to be.

"No more speeches. No more promises. No more talks about the greater good," Yang said as she readied herself for battle. Her eyes were red and her hair was glowing, while her enemies were staring at her with frightened eyes. "Now, I just want all of you to die."

* * *

Back in the real world, Yang woke up from her dream with her whole body covered in sweat. Even though it was just a dream, it was about something that really had happened. It was something that happened in her previous time. It had been her first step towards taking revenge for Ruby.

The blonde sat up on her bed and looked around. None of her teammates were in the dorm, having left to do whatever they wanted. This was fine by Yang, as she needed some time to think to herself right now.

The brawler jumped off her bed and walked up to the window. It was currently raining outside. While she used to hate such weather, now she didn't mind it at all. In fact, the sound of rain hitting the glass was somewhat calming to her, which was very much welcome.

Thinking about her dream, Yang started to think about how everything had gone wrong in her old world. The one who had really started the whole thing had obviously been Cinder. The raven-haired woman had been able to seduce a good amount of people to her side, including those who Ozpin thought he could trust. Because of this, when the war itself started, the headmaster's forces were attacked from both the outside and the inside. It didn't take long for the balance of power to tip greatly in Cinder's favor.

Thanks to Cinder's assistance and their own skills, Weiss and Blake had built up large followings of their owns. The white-haired girl had taken over Atlas' military through essentially buying a good amount of high-ranking military commanders, as well as many other influential people. With the power she had gathered, Weiss didn't just take over her father's company, but also removed General Ironwood from the top position of the military. After she had done that, Atlas had pretty much fallen into her hands.

Blake, on the other hand, had used Adam to rise to power. The bull faunus still had feelings for the cat faunus, making him easy to manipulate. With his help, Blake had taken down Sienna and took over the White Fang. While Adam was the one who appeared as the leader, he was mostly a puppet that the raven-haired girl manipulated. With power in her hands, Blake had rallied most of the faunus population under her rule and had taken over Mistral.

Following quickly after the two fallen kingdoms, Vacuo soon fell into Cinder's rule. Now the world had been split into the four factions of Weiss in Atlas, Blake in Mistral, Cinder in Vacuo and Ozpin in Vale. However, not only had the silver-haired man's resources and military strength been depleted through the countless battles, but the other three kingdoms were allied against him, seeing him as a common threat. It didn't take long for the three allies to completely destroy Vale, turning the once proud kingdom into a wasteland with only a small population.

With Ozpin pretty much out of the way, Cinder had expected the whole world to be hers soon. After all, it was thanks to her assistance that Weiss and Blake were able to rise into power in the first place. Unfortunately for her, the ones she had assisted now turned against her, putting the world of Remnant into a three-way conflict with each faction openly hostile to one another. This locked them into a stalemate, as none of the three factions wanted to make the first move. If one wasted their strength to destroy one of the other two, the third one would come and destroy the winner.

It was during this time that Ozpin had decided to try gathering more power in order to fight back. His plan had been to form an alliance with Weiss, so that he could take down his other two enemies. Unfortunately for Yang, this plan involved using Ruby as goods to bargain with. The former headmaster had hoped to use Weiss' scientific resources to find out the secret behind Ruby's silver eyes and possibly replicate the power. With such a force behind him, Ozpin had hoped to not only fight Cinder and Blake, but to also destroy the Grimm that were roaming freely around Vale.

However, Weiss was fully aware of just how powerless Ozpin had become, meaning that she wasn't worried at all about breaking her promises with him. After her scientists were unable to find out the secret of Ruby's eyes, the young redhead was then given to Cinder as part of a deal between Weiss and the raven-haired woman. Cinder had used Ruby as her own personal toy, until she grew tired of her. It was then that the villainess had sent the former team leader to Blake as a gift for a non-aggression pact between their two kingdoms.

When Ruby was in Blake's hands, Yang had finally been able to track her down and rescue her. The cat faunus had thrown her former friend into "The Human Zoo", which was a place where a lot of human slaves were forced to act like animals. If they didn't, the wouldn't get food or any other necessities. Luckily, the place wasn't guarded that well, allowing Yang to rescue her beloved rose and escape.

Despite risking her life to save Ruby, the blonde had been too late in the end. The endless amounts of torture, abuse and experimentation had taken their toll on the redhead, turning her into an empty shell of her former self. At that point, all Yang could do was end Ruby's suffering, so she could rest in peace.

The painful memory of what Ruby had become due to the treatment she had been put through caused Yang to grit her teeth and punch the wall out of anger. Small cracks appeared where her fist had hit, along with drops of blood falling from her hand. It took a few seconds of deep breaths to calm down the brawler, along with remembering that Ruby was still alive in this time, so she hadn't failed yet.

Once she had managed to calm herself, Yang noticed her reflection on the window. She looked at the new hairstyle she had now thanks to Ruby. In truth, there had been two reasons as to why the blonde had decided to shorten her hair. One was the fact that this was more practical. Longer hair had the chance of being a problem in the fight, as your opponent could grab it or it could stuck on something. Not to mention, shorter hair was easier to hide, in case Yang needed to do something that required her not to be recognized.

The second reason was that the time traveler no longer felt the need to have her hair long. Originally, she had grown her hair as long as she did because of her mother. When she was only a small child, Yang had believed that her mother would have recognized her better, of she were to have similar hair as Raven. This in turn would have helped her find the bandit leader. Now that the brawler knew just what kind of a person her mother was, she had no desire of ever seeing her again. That also meant that the long hair could go.

Yang decided to stop thinking about the past and focus on the present. Even though her plans had been going along well, some problems had started to rise up. First of all was her current situation with her team. While the time traveler couldn't care about Weiss and Blake even a bit, Ruby was another deal. The redhead had heard from their other two teammates about how violently Yang had acted. Because of this, Ruby had been very upset with the blonde, which led to her acting coldly towards her. Not only couldn't Yang stand the idea of Ruby being angry with her, but this situation could bring bigger problems. The way the brawler was acting could get the attention of her enemies, which could ruin her plans. Even though she knew better, Yang had let her emotions get the better of her.

This whole thing with Ruby being upset with the blonde had been going on for about two weeks. During this time, Yang had continued stealing Dust from Roman and using it in her ritual. Unfortunately, the orange-haired thief was not so stupid as to not notice someone taking part of his loot, causing him to be even more careful from now on. Because of this, the time traveler had been having trouble finding where Roman would strike next, making it difficult for her to get her hands on anymore Dust.

On the brighter side, Yang's plan with Pyrrha was going well. While she was certain that the amazon wouldn't be able to kill Cinder, she could at least take down some of the pyromancer's underlings and possibly even wound her. When the news of Mercury having been murdered reached her ears, the brawler immediately knew who had been behind it. Even when Pyrrha wasn't as powerful as someone like Cinder, she was still a strong warrior that could take on people like Mercury or Emerald.

However, Yang's biggest issue was still getting her hands on Dust. She still needed to perform her ritual in order to be strong enough to take on her strongest foes, so Roman's carefulness had thrown a rather big wrench in her plans. The time traveler needed to figure out something that could get her a large amount of Dust and soon.

Yang then realized something. Instead of simply looking for Roman, she could look for where the thief was currently hiding all the Dust he had stolen so far. That way not only would she be able to get what she wanted, but the blonde could also hinder the plans of her enemies as well. Roman would never expect someone to come into his hideout to steal from him.

The only problem was finding the orange-haired man's hideout, but Yang had an idea on how to do that. She first needed to find the person who would tell her what she wanted to know.

* * *

Later that night, Yang was sitting in a rather shady bar, waiting to find the person she was looking for. She had gone through a lot of people, forcing them to tell her what she wanted to know, which had led her to this place. Even though Roman was skilled in covering his tracks, there were still a lot of people that knew him and his companions. The trick was to get these people to talk, which wasn't all that hard when they held no loyalty to the thief.

It took some time, but Yang was eventually able to find the person she was looking for. Her sight never left her target, as she patiently waited for her opportunity to strike. After some waiting, the person the blonde was looking at began to leave the bar, which meant that she would get her chance to strike soon.

Once they had both walked out of the bar, Yang followed her target through the streets of Vale's slums while keeping a safe distance. She needed to wait until they were both in an area that not only didn't have any onlookers, but wasn't too close to areas with people. The brawler knew that she would most likely have to fight, so it was best to make sure that no one unwanted would hear it.

Suddenly, Yang's target took a sudden turn down an alley, disappearing from sight. Fearing that she might lose her target, the time traveler ran after the person, hoping to catch up to them. She kept running down the alley, until she ended at a more open area. There were at least five alleys that her target could have gone to, with no signs on any of them. It was like the person she had been following had disappeared.

Just as Yang was beginning to fear that she lost her target, she heard something behind her. She turned around just in time to block a blade aimed for her head with her gauntlet. The blonde looked at her attacker and saw a smile on their face, showing how much they were enjoying the chance of getting to kill someone.

"Hello, Neo," Yang greeted her opponent. "I have some questions for you. Mind answering them?"

* * *

 **Author's notes: I decided to return to this story, since I thought I've been away from it for quite some time now. The reason for such a long break from this story was simply the fact that I've been more interested in writing my other stories. I also wasn't exactly sure how I was going to continue this from the last chapter, so that also caused me to stay away from this one.**

 **I'll be trying to work on this story a bit more, but I can't give any certain promises. I do wish to complete this story for all the people who want to see it continue and are supporting it, but I feel that there will be times I'll take long breaks due to different reasons, such as to work on something else or to figure out how to properly continue this story.**

 **At the beginning of this chapter, I kind of wanted to give some sort of an idea on the journey Yang went through in her own time. If you guys like it, I can do more of them. If you don't, there won't be scenes like the one in the beginning. It's up to you all.**

 **I'll try to get to work on the next chapter soon, but I think I'm going to have to work on Dead by Roselight first, as I left it in a bad spot right now.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


	9. Neo

**Securing A Future**

 **Chapter 9: Neo**

Yang and Neo were staring each other down in a small open area that was located in the middle of some of the buildings in Vale's slums. Both fighters were holding their weapons at the ready, prepared for any movement their opponent might make. Right now, neither one of them was showing any signs of making a move, as they were just observing one another, hoping to find holes in their opponent's defenses.

Truth be told, the blonde wasn't all that confident that she could take on the tri-colored girl. Back in her own time, her victory over Neo could have been summarized in two factors. One was all the preparations she had done before going on her quest for revenge. Before she had started to hunt down the people responsible for Ruby's death, Yang had spent a couple of years training and using forbidden rituals with Dust to make herself far stronger. Thanks to that, she had been able to emerge victorious through some very tough battles.

The second thing that had allowed her to beat Neo had been the fact that the mute girl had let her skills go rusty. Once Remnant had fallen under the control of Cinder, Weiss and Blake, Roman and Neo had joined under Cinder's service, but not in similar professions as they had previously. In fact, the former thieves had become more like businessmen, instead of the daring outlaws they were before. In fact, Neo had been given the position of managing one of Vacuo's biggest casinos, leaving her out of fighting entirely. Because of this, her skills had gone down, allowing Yang to beat her easily.

However, now the time traveler wasn't facing the person from her time. This was Neo at her best, while Yang herself was nowhere near as strong as she had been in her own time. The blonde could only hope that her knowledge and experience would be enough for a victory.

"You know, this isn't exactly a fair fight, right? I mean, I'm a big, tough Huntress, while you're just a mute girl," Yang tried to taunt her opponent, hoping it would help her. "The only reason I'm not feeling bad about this is because you're a criminal, and even then you're the assistant to a third-rate thief. You never really set your aspirations all that high, did you?"

The brawler wasn't sure if her taunt was going to affect Neo, but there was a small twitch at the corner of the multi-colored girl's left eye. Her words must have hit at least some sort of a nerve. This could possibly help her win this match.

"To be honest, I almost feel bad for you. What kind of a low do you have to hit in order to think that Torchwick would be a good choice of employment?" Yang continued her taunting. "I'm pretty sure working at a crappy fast food restaurant would be a better career choice than him. Or even as a theme park mascot. Even those jobs have some degree of dignity behind them, unlike-"

The time traveler's taunting was finally stopped by Neo attempting to cut her down with her blade. However, the attack was so obvious that Yang was able to easily block it with her gauntlet. She looked into the criminal's eyes and saw that they were switching colors at a very fast rate, most likely as a sign of Neo losing her temper and letting her anger get the best of her.

"I hope you're not expecting an apology from me," the brawler said and readied her other gauntlet. "Because all you're getting from me is THIS!"

Yang hit Neo with her other gauntlet, firing a shot right in the mute girl's gut. However, instead of seeing her opponent get thrown back by the force, the blonde saw Neo shatter like glass, telling her that the criminal had used her Semblance to avoid the attack.

"Shit!" Yang cursed. "I hate that damn trick of hers."

With her opponent out of sight, the brawler was left on the defensive, which she didn't like. Neo was a quick and clever opponent, so even a small mistake could lead to death. Luckily, Yang had a few tricks up her sleeve as well to even the odds a bit.

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, the time traveler focused on her Aura and began to send it out around her in small waves. This was a technique that used Aura in a far different way than what was normally taught to people. The waves acted like a radar, going around the user's surroundings and telling her what was there. As soon as she started using this technique, Yang began to pick up on all sorts of living beings around her. There were a few rats, cockroaches and even a stray cat.

Unfortunately, despite using one of the techniques she had learned in her own timeline, the time traveler was unable to locate Neo. Due to her body and Aura not being as strong as they used to be, Yang was having difficulty using this technique to it's full potential. Because of this, either the waves she was sending out weren't strong enough to reach Neo or she was suppressing her Aura enough in order to bypass the technique. The problem with the blonde was that she had no idea which was the case. Her opponent could have already escaped and ran away as far as possible, or she could be silently making her way closer to her potential next victim.

Sweat was running down the back of Yang's neck as she tried her best to find Neo. For all she knew, the tri-colored girl could be right behind her, ready to stab her through the skull. The problem of this technique was that it left the user practically defenseless, as it required all of their concentration. The brawler was taking a huge risk with using it in battle, especially with an opponent on Neo's level.

Suddenly, one of Yang's waves felt a response to something more human. It had to be Neo, as the place they were at was a more abandoned area of Vale, inhabited only by those who were rejected by society and were left on their own. The only problem was that this person was right behind Yang and getting closer to her at a fast rate.

Reacting as quickly as she could, the time traveler turned around with her eyes open. What she saw was a madly grinning Neo with her sword drawn out, ready to be thrust through Yang's body.

The blade was struck towards it's target and blood fell to the ground. For a moment, both combatants stood completely still with silence falling over them.

Neo attempted to pull back her sword, thinking that it must have pierced her opponent's body. However, the criminal girl's brow furrowed in confusion, as she couldn't get her weapon back. In fact, she was unable to move it even a bit.

Upon taking a closer look, Neo realized that she had been unable to actually hit Yang. Instead, the brawler had managed to catch the blade with her hands, stopping it from dealing any serious damage. The palms of her hands were still cut, as she was gripping on the sword with all her might in an effort to stop it.

"What's the matter? Didn't see that coming?" Yang taunted, as Neo struggled to free her weapon. "Don't worry. I'll take good care of it."

With all her might, the blonde managed to use her strength to break the tri-colored girl's sword into pieces. All Neo could do was stare with wide eyes, as she watched the pieces of her sword fall to the ground. Yang, on the other hand, didn't waste her time on pointless staring and actually headbutted her opponent in the face. A sickening crunch could be heard, as the criminal's nose was broken from the hit.

"Sorry about that. You were just standing around like a complete idiot, so it was too hard for me to resist doing that to your face," Yang taunted her opponent with a smirk. "I wonder if Roman is going to be upset with me, now that I've pretty much broken his useless assistant."

If Neo had been angry before, she was now absolutely furious. Not only had this girl been insulting her and her boss, but now the brat had even broken her weapon and her nose as well. The tri-colored girl took her hands away from her nose and looked at the blood that was covering them. Her body started to shake with fury and her eyes kept changing colors due to the extreme emotions she was feeling. Even Neo's appearance kept changing at a rapid pace, as she lost control of her emotions that put her Semblance on an overdrive. Different clothes and hairstyles kept appearing on the criminal, only to be suddenly replaced by a new one.

Had she been able to, Neo would have been screaming as loudly as she could, as she charged towards Yang in a blind fury. She didn't care if she had no weapon. She didn't care if it was foolish to just charge in blind rage. All that mattered was that she could get revenge on the person that had humiliated her like this.

Yang was able to easily dodge or block any attacks Neo threw at her. There was no skill or expertise in the tri-colored girl's strikes anymore, as this was nothing more than pure and unadulterated anger that was controlling her.

The time traveler kept defending from her opponent's useless attacks for some time, letting her tire herself out, until it was time to strike back. First, Yang kneed Neo in the gut, knocking the wind out of her lungs and making her double over. Then she hit her opponent to the back with an elbow, breaking at least one of her ribs and sending her to the ground. Once Neo had hit the ground, Yang got on top of the smaller girl and began to beat her had against the ground, until she was unconscious.

It took a good amount of willpower from the blonde not to simply bash Neo's brains out, as she held a good amount of resentment towards her. However, Yang was able to calm herself by thinking about her ultimate goal, saving Ruby from a terrible fate. In order to do that, she would need Neo alive for now.

Picking up the criminal's unconscious body, Yang made her way to her bike. She had plans for Neo that needed some preparations.

* * *

After some time had passed, Neo began to wake up with the worst headache she had ever had. It took her a moment, but the tri-colored girl remembered her fight with Yang and what had happened. She immediately looked around herself, wanting to know what had happened while she had been unconscious.

Neo had expected to see the inside of a jail cell, not the inside of what seemed to be an old factory. The criminal tried to get up from the spot she was laying on, only to realize that both her hands and feet were tied up with a strong metal chain that was connected to something behind her. After struggling against her bindings a bit, Neo realized that there was pretty much nothing she could do to free herself.

"I see that you're finally awake," a familiar voice called out to the tri-colored girl, who looked towards where the voice was coming from and saw Yang. "I was starting to fear that I might have hit you a bit too hard or something. It's just not a good idea to hold back against someone like you."

Neo glared at the blonde, wondering just what she was planning. The criminal thought that she would get turned over to the police, but this was something completely different. Just what was going on here?

"Now, the reason I brought you here is because I have something that I need to ask from you," Yang explained as she walked up to her prisoner with a map in her hands. She unfolded it and laid it out in front of Neo. "I want to know where your boss is hiding all the Dust he has stolen, okay? I want you to point out where the place is. And I don't care how you do it. Use your nose or your tongue, as long as you tell me the truth. Answer me honestly and you'll get off easy. Do you understand?"

The only response the brawler got from the tri-colored girl was spit on her face. However, instead of getting angry, Yang simply smirked and wiped the stain from her face.

"I was kind of hoping you would say that. I'm going to enjoy this little session of ours," the time traveler said and walked up to the wall behind Neo. There she pulled a switch that began to pull back the chain that was tied around her captive, eventually lifting her off the floor and into the air.

With Neo now hanging in the air, she was able to take a better look at her surroundings. The place she currently was in was indeed a factory, and judging by the amount of dust, dirt and rust everywhere, the place had been abandoned for years. There were all sorts of machinery and other equipment all around the place that the tri-colored girl knew nothing about, having been left there to rust.

However, Neo's most surprising discovery had to be the large window right next to her. Thanks to being lifted up so high, she was able to see a street with people walking around, completely unaware of what was going on in the inside. If only she could scream or yell, the criminal could possibly get saved.

"Enjoying the view, are we?" Yang called out to her captive, getting her attention. Neo noticed that the blonde was carrying a large toolbox with her. "You might want to take a good look at the people outside and think about them. One of those people could possible come here and save you, if they knew about what's going on inside here. One of those very people that you are ready to rob, harm or even kill. I want you to think about how little they mean to you, even as you'll be praying for one of them to help you."

The blonde opened her toolbox and took something out of there. Neo's eyes went wide and her face turned pale upon seeing that her captor was holding an electric drill in her hand.

"No need to worry about us being interrupted, though. The glass on that window is made in such a way that you can see outside, but not inside. Also, no one outside will be able to hear us, since the walls will block most sounds. Unless it was something very loud, like a scream or a call for help," Yang explained with a sadistic grin as she walked up to Neo. The tri-colored girl was squirming in her bindings, trying in vain to escape what was about to happen. "Now, shall we begin?"

What followed next was a living hell for Neo.

* * *

After about a couple of hours, Yang was done torturing Neo, who was now nothing more than a bleeding mess. It was an absolute miracle that the criminal was still alive after everything she had been put through, as most people would have died from the shock that came from the pain.

Neo's whole body was covered in scratches, wounds and bruises of all shapes and sizes. There were several burn marks in different parts of her body, some of them having been made with Fire Dust in order to close up wounds. Some of the tri-colored girl's bones had been broken, and both of the tendons in her ankles had been cut. Some of her fingers had been cut off and the ones that weren't had their nails pulled off. In addition to all of this, Neo's left eye and a couple of her teeth had been removed.

By this point, the criminal was praying inside her mind that someone would just kill her already and end her agony. Through the whole thing, she had kept looking through the window, wanting to scream and cry for one of the people outside to come and help her. However, all she could do was twist and shed tears of pain, as she couldn't make her presence known to anyone that could possibly help her.

"Now, have you perhaps thought about your situation a bit?" Yang asked in a mocking tone. "Are you willing to tell me what I want to know?"

Neo gave a nod in response, telling her captor that she was willing to tell her what she knew. The blonde released her captive from her chains, no longer worried about any possible resistance, and let her fall to the floor. Once she was freed from her chains, Neo struggled to crawl up to the map on the floor, where she pointed one of her fingers at a place where a warehouse was located.

"Is that where Roman is hiding with all the Dust he has stolen?" Yang asked, getting another nod from Neo. "Good girl. Now is the time for your reward."

The time traveler put one of her feet on the tri-colored girl's neck, pinning her down to the floor. Neo tried to struggle, but she no longer had the strength to fight back.

"Oh, come on. We both knew this is how it was going to end," Yang said with a smirk, before twisting her leg a bit, snapping Neo's neck in the process. "Besides, this is probably better than what you deserve."

With her captive dead, the blonde marked the spot Neo had pointed on the map. Next she would go give Roman a visit, while getting a good amount of Dust in the process.

* * *

 **Author's notes: I kind of wanted to show a bit of a sadistic side of Yang in this chapter. While she might hate the idea of having to kill some of the people she's targeting, there are some people that she absolutely hates and wants to make suffer, like Neo.**

 **Anyways, hope you guys liked the chapter. I'll try to get to work on the next one as soon as possible.**

 **Until next time.**

 **RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth.**


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